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Is your music making you deaf?
Is your music making you deaf? Technically, no, says Dr. Daniel Fink. But loud music can cause hearing loss and tinnitus, which are occupational hazards for rock musicians.
(Re)learning to run without headphones
Dr. Daniel Fink points us to a delightful essay on learning to run without headphones if your smartphone dies. You just might rediscover the joy of listening to the world.
Leaf Blowers, Pollution, and COVID-19
New: Our memorandum, COVID-19 and Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers: A Lethal Combination, v 1.2, discusses three specific problems that gas leaf blowers (GLBs) present during the COVID-19 crisis, and details the scientific evidence on the related health and environmental...
Harvard Medical School looks at hearing and brain health
Harvard Medical School looks at hearing and brain health in a blog post by Dr. James Maple. David Sykes recommends it as a primer on the subject.
Why can’t you hear?
Why can’t you understand speech in a noisy room? The problem is known as “speech in noise,” and the cause is hidden hearing loss. Now researchers have developed at test to measure hidden hearing loss.
Can hearing aids help prevent dementia?
Can hearing aids help prevent dementia? A NY Times article reviews research that suggests they might. Dr. Fink says a better option is to prevent hearing loss in the first place.
There is value in the sudden quiet
David Sykes tells us about a fascinating essay on the value of sudden quiet. MIT physicist Alan Lightman says it gives us a chance to think about who we are.
April 29 is International Noise Awareness Day
April 29 is International Noise Awareness Day, and Dr. Daniel Fink wonders if people worldwide will focus on listening now that lockdowns have resulted in dramatic reductions in noise.
AARP focuses on musicians and hearing loss
David Sykes writes about an AARP article that cites a German study showing working musicians are nearly 4 times more likely to suffer noise-induced hearing loss than any other profession.
Yet another Earth Day has passed, but marked by silence and solitude
Yet another Earth Day has passed, but this one marked by silence and solitude. David Sykes wonders if the silence wrought by the pandemic will open environmentalists’ ears to the dangers of noise.
NYC noise complaints drop as city stays at home
NYC noise complaints drop as city stays at home, writes Dr. Arline Bronzaft. Instead of the usual complaints about honking, bars, and construction, neighbor noise is the focus.
Nature’s sounds calm urban anxiety
Dr. Daniel Fink writes about Paige Tower’s interesting essay on how New York City’s noise worsened her anxiety, and how a move to a place closer to nature’s sounds helped her regain her calm.