Hearing 2

Hearing 2
Andre Willers
7 Jul 2009

Synopsis :
Higher frequency hearing loss caused by dis-training .

Discussion :
Arggh !
I should have known this . (See http://andreswhy.blogspot.com
"How to Enhance enjoyment of CD music ." Andre Willers 19 Nov 2007)

I did not move my head enough .
It took about a year for listening to CD's to distrain the high-frequency mechanisms of the ear .
The visual system was then also affected (see http://andreswhy.blogspot.com " Hearing")

At least the system is easily rectifiable .

Yes , the system can be retrained , at least to normal age standards , and probably to better .

The Theory .
The theory is very interesting .
See www.ScientificAmerican.com July 2009 p 40 "Origins of the Left and Right hand brain."

They make a fairly convincing case that brain-hemisphere specialization is very old (we are talking 500 million years ) , but in typical human fashion the really interesting question of why the nerves are twisted in 180 degrees is simply ignored . Yet it is the primary question . It must have a compelling evolutionary advantage , otherwise it would have simply have been selected out . All that extra wiring and complications . Things that can go wrong over 500 MY . Why did it persist ?

Primal Vector Sensing .
See p52 of the article . A toad zaps the target better if the target is rotating clockwise . Ie moving from left to right . But not in the other direction . There is a advantage in speed in the movement in one direction . This is from direct vector (direction of movement) sensing . And this is derived from the twisting of the nerves . (Happens even in copper conductors - called inductance) . Nerves are more complex , and have vector-leaks through the myelin sheaths . Notice disease symptoms with myelin sheath disorders .

This can have only one direction . Hence the symmetry-breaking . The Left-handed and Right-handed thingie is intimately associated with nerve cross-over . You can model the evolutionary success . The original symmetry-break was probably associated with the chiral forms of sugar molecules .

So , we can add another primary sense . Direction vector of motion . Both the direction and speed .

This changes things considerably .

Hearing and vision .
Neither are symmetrical . This is really important .
Both have built-in biases , and to function properly they must work alternately , not simultaneously . There is an either-or gate in the neural processing at a very deep level .

A slow side-to-side scanning motion by the eyes and ears (head , in other words) , is the natural motion for optimal function of humans .

There is also a preferred direction of sensing : it seems to be left-to-right . (Dictated by the twisting of the neural fibres)
You will see and react to the flight of a ball from left-to-right much faster than the other way . Your musculature has evolved accordingly . What a difference a twist makes !

A lecturer's optimal strategy would be to walk slowly from his audience's left to right while talking , then distract their attention by some problem while quickly moving back to their left and repeating .

Sigh . That is how reputations are made . The repetitive impact is impressive . (Why do you think no teacher teaches while sitting still ? Something that has always bothered me.)

The effect is innate at neural level . Lefties ? See "The sexes of man ." for frequency calculations .

Facial symmetry .
A normal human will have a slightly asymmetrical face . The use of mouth while speaking , etc .
Really symmetrical faces (like one sees on soapies sometimes) , might appear handsome , but gives rise to a sense of disquiet . As they should . Only psychopaths or extreme sociopaths have completely symmetrical faces . Very asymmetrical faces also are a surface manifestation of a disturbed mind .

But anything in-between , is deemed "interesting" .

Body symmetry .
The same holds .

The idea of symmetry as "Body Beautiful" goes back to the ancient Greeks , who can be described as a bunch of sociopaths who liked to hang about in baths in between running around killing anybody who disagreed with them . Hard to keep a decent cook with them around .

Dancing
One would expect a preferred direction , namely left-to-right in the visual field of the primary . Ie , rotating anti-clockwise , like in walzes , etc .

In general , one would expect a anti-clockwise bias in any human activity involving rotations . See all the petroglyphs on innumerable spiral rocks .

Golf .
Golf is an asymmetric body-activity that is highly specific in age and frequency perception . Is there golf-music?

Orchestra :
Notice that the orchestra positions in opera ensures a proper training regimen for elderly people . The sound frequencies are positioned correctly .
A frequent opera-goer would hear much better than one that did not go .

An interesting question : is the impact additive ?
If the viewer only sees a left-to-right motion , is the message of the presenter enhanced by a simple multiplicand ?
The answer seems to be "Yes" , hence the form of theatres and lecture halls . The actual presentation seems like an uninterrupted movement from left to right to the audience .
(ever wondered why theatres were portions of circles?)

Now you too can be a master playwright .
Notice Shakespeare's actors all entered and left from the left-to-right from the audience's perspective .

Remedial Therapy :
To better hearing and vision :
1. Move head frequently . This is too much hassle . One forgets .
2. Get multi-frequency sound system from different moving directions .
3. Itarin .


The Invariant Symphony .
The Fractal symphony .
I would like to write a piece of music that uses all the frequencies , but is separate and yet recognizable at every age-frequency cut-off point . I have a sneaking suspicion that Mozart did exactly that , but do not know enough to say .
Any ideas ?


Any human can hear his own music .
But can you make other humans hear your music ?
Or other intelligences ?

The band of Orpheus and Dionyses will really rock you .
Arachne will be the singer , spinning her golden web .
Their song would restore any hearing .

Have you ever wondered why these old guys were all solo artists ?

If you understand that , you understand their civilization .

Andre .