Can you hear me now? How the inner ear's sensors are made
A UCLA study shows for the first time how microscopic crystals form sound and gravity sensors inside the inner ear. Located at the ends of cilia - tiny cellular hairs in the ear that move and transmit signals - these crystals play an important role in detecting sound, maintaining balance and regulating movement. view more (2008-12-02)
Looking forward to better travel
These were the findings of a study published today, Monday 15 November, in the British Journal of Psychology, by Mark Turner of Portsmouth University, and Professor Michael Griffin of Southampton University's Institute of Sound and Vibration Research. view more (1999-11-15)
Dyslexia Research
New findings from Salzburg concerning poor reading and spelling Vienna/Salzburg (Austrian Science Fund) - A not inconsiderable number of children, particularly boys, have unexpected difficulties in learning to read and spell. It is estimated that up to 10 % of all children are affected. With the support of the Austrian Science Fund, Heinz Wimmer,... view more... (2002-03-20)
Pretending To Be A Bird
Tape-recorders allow us to record and analyze birds' singing, but communicating with birds is more difficult. From time immemorial, people have listened to the birds singing, recognized birds by voices, have been able to guess their condition. Some people are able to successfully imitate bird's singing. Only in the 50s of the last century,... view more... (2004-05-24)
Researchers Reveal Extent of Pain felt by Elderly people Parted from Pets on Entering Residential Care
University of Warwick psychology researchers Dr June McNicholas and Dr Glyn Collis have just published a paper on the role of pets in the lives of older people which finds that pets benefit them by companionship, increased levels of activity, and better person-to-person interactions by pets acting as social catalysts. They also found that pets... view more... (1999-11-22)
New method will 'shake up' the world of virus detection
A team of Cambridge scientists have invented a new method that could revolutionise the way scientists detect viruses. It works by 'vibrating' viruses and listening to the sound they make as they break away from a surface. The secret lies in tiny quartz crystals less than 1cm in diameter and 1mm thick. An antibody is used to bind the virus to the... view more... (2001-08-30)
Major breakthrough for special needs children
A groundbreaking project pioneered by a University of Sunderland researcher is having an extraordinary effect on the lives of children with special needs. Dr Phil Ellis, at the University’s school of arts, design and media, is working with youngsters from Davenport School in Houghton-le-Spring, with dramatic effect. He is using his sound... view more... (2001-01-25)
Seismic research without artificial source
Researchers at TU Delft have made progress in the theoretical foundation of a special subsoil imaging technique. This technique could be used to chart underground mineral resources, it is called "acoustic daylight imaging". The method uses natural acoustic signals, already present in the earth, to create an image of the subsurface... view more... (2004-12-21)
Mule deer moms rescue other fawns
An intriguing study of mule deer and whitetail deer conducted by the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada and the University of Lethbridge, also in Canada, showed that both species responded to the recorded distress calls of fawns, similar to the responses elicited when coyotes attack fawns, with mule deer mothers responding to both whitetail... view more... (2007-05-31)
Study links low-frequency hearing to shape of the cochlea
Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea - the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers - which proves to be surprisingly important. view more (2008-04-28)
'Holy Grail' of hearing: True identity of pivotal hearing structure is revealed
Our ability to hear is made possible by way of a Rube Goldberg-style process in which sound vibrations entering the ear shake and jostle a successive chain of structures until, lo and behold, they are converted into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. view more (2007-09-06)
New brain findings on dyslexic children
The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research from Northwestern University. view more (2009-11-12)
Controversy over what your doctor should learn
The current fashion in teaching doctors, which allows medical students to decide what they want to learn and how to go about it, is strongly criticised in a paper published in the British Medical Journal this week (10th July 2004). The authors argue that the new ideology may damage medical training in this country, and that there is now a risk... view more... (2004-07-07)
Background noise suppression technology aids hard of hearing
A revolutionary mechanism to allow hard-of-hearing people to distinguish between foreground dialogue and background music or sound effects in television programmes has been developed by a team of engineers led by Professor Ahmet Kondoz from the University of Surrey. Called Diction (Digitally Improving the Clarity of Television Narrative), the... view more... (2000-08-11)
Carnegie Mellon brain imaging study illustrates how remedial instruction helps poor readers
Just as a disciplined exercise regimen helps human muscles become stronger and perform better, specialized workouts for the brain can boost cognitive skills, according to Carnegie Mellon scientists. view more (2008-06-12)
Oxford research furthers understanding of 'Foreign Accent Syndrome'
Oxford neuropsychologists have located some very small lesions in the brain which can lead to a rare speech disorder known as Foreign Accent Syndrome. This condition, which is usually the result of a stroke or head injury, makes patients change their pronunciation to sound like non-native speakers. The finding is a further piece in the puzzle... view more... (2002-10-03)
Engineers develop way of detecting problems with artificial hip joints
A more efficient way of detecting loosened artificial hip implants, which affect thousands of people every year, has been developed. view more (2007-08-03)
MPEG-4 Audio-Visual Solutions One-Stop At Fraunhofer IIS
High-quality video transmission with multi-channel sound through DSL connections finally becomes reality thanks to an up to now unmatched efficiency in audio and video compression. The revolutionary new multimedia technology can be licensed one-stop at Fraunhofer IIS. MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding AVC allows screen-filling video in good quality at... view more... (2004-06-21)
Plastics suspect in lobster illness
The search for what causes a debilitating shell disease affecting lobsters from Long Island Sound to Maine has led one Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) visiting scientist to suspect environmental alkyphenols, formed primarily by the breakdown of hard transparent plastics. view more (2008-08-15)
Beating the thieves with location tracking
Police aim to 'design out' crime by equipping valuable items with tracking devices that sound an alert or record their movement. They are being helped by electronic engineers at the University of Leeds who are devising a way of locating objects using widely-available technology. view more (2004-07-05)
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