Mountain mystery.You think concentrating on tests in school is hard? Try acing a quiz on top of a mountain, says Philip Lieberman Philip Lieberman is a linguist at Brown University. Originally trained in phonetics, he wrote a dissertation on intonation. The remainder of his career has focussed on topics in the evolution of spoken language, and particularly the relationship between the evolution of the vocal , a neuroscientist neuroscientist A researcher, often with an advanced degree–MD, MS, PhD–who investigates neural and brain-related phenomena (brain researcher) at Brown University. Lieberman recently used a series of word tests to show that even experienced mountain climbers This list of climbers includes both mountaineers and rock climbers, since many (though not all) climbers engage in both types of activities. The list also includes boulderers and ice climbers. get disoriented--and often--at have trouble speaking--at high altitudes. The cause: low oxygen levels. Scientists have known for decades that the higher you climb, the less oxygen you inhale in·hale v. 1. To breathe in; inspire. 2. To draw something such as smoke or a medicinal mist into the lungs by breathing; inspire. . That's because air pressure, the force of air pressing down, decreases as you ascend, says Lieberman. Under lower pressure, oxygen molecules in air spread out more. That means with every breath, less oxygen reaches your brain. Lieberman's study was the first to show how a drop in oxygen at high altitudes affects the basal ganglia basal ganglia pl.n. 1. The caudate and lentiform nuclei of the brain and the cell groups associated with them, considered as a group. 2. All of the large masses of gray matter at the base of the cerebral hemisphere. , a central part of on Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, Lieberman radioed questions to five expert climbers headed for the top. In one test, he asked the climbers to match sentences (e.g., "The boy is sick.") to pictures--in a test booklet. "The higher the climbers went, the slower their comprehension," says Lieberman. The climbers also slurred slur tr.v. slurred, slur·ring, slurs 1. To pronounce indistinctly. 2. To talk about disparagingly or insultingly. 3. To pass over lightly or carelessly; treat without due consideration. their speech and "began doing crazy things," Lieberman says, like trying to climb on a snowy slope with a high avalanche risk. These effects could have serious consequences, Lieberman says, not only for climbers but for pilots and astronauts who fly in high-altitude, low-oxygen conditions. To help lower those risks, Lieberman plans to design word tests for ground controllers so they can make sure fliers' heads aren't "in the clouds" when they reach the clouds. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion