HEAR THIS!The theater lights dim and--kaboom!--a movie preview for an action thriller roars onto the screen. The only thing you wish you had--besides popcorn--is earplugs. Does it seem like the sound of movie trailers is deafening? Well, 40 percent of last year's previews blared at deafening noise levels (see chart, above)! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How loud is loud? "Any sound louder than 85 decibels [a measure of sound] can damage the ears" says University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas strives to be known as a "nationally competitive, student-centered research university serving Arkansas and the world." The school recently completed its "Campaign for the 21st Century," in which the university raised more than $1 billion for the school, used audiologist Audiologist A person with a degree and/or certification in the areas of identification and measurement of hearing impairments and rehabilitation of those with hearing problems. (hearing scientist) Jess Dancer. Sound is created by waves of molecules that travel through air and pound against tiny hair cells in the cochlea cochlea (kŏk`lēə): see ear. , a part of the inner ear. The hair cells then signal the brain, which makes sense of the noise. But repeated exposure to loud sounds can kill cochlear hair cells, resulting in permanent hearing loss! That's especially common among teens who frequently listen to loud music or plug into Walkmans. "I see many teens with the hearing of 60-year-olds," says Dancer. Luckily, your ears can recover from brief bouts of loud noise (less than 100 decibels), like movie previews. Still, Hollywood has turned down the volume for most previews since receiving an earful ear·ful n. 1. An abundant or excessive amount of something heard, such as talk or music. 2. Gossip, especially of an intimate or scandalous nature. 3. A scolding or reprimand. of complaints last year. This chart shows decibel decibel (dĕs`əbĕl', –bəl), abbr. dB, unit used to measure the loudness of sound. It is one tenth of a bel (named for A. G. Bell), but the larger unit is rarely used. levels for different sounds. |
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