Hearingcansootheandcomfort.Thesnappingoflogsinthefireplace,thegossipywhisperofabroom,theinquisitivewheezeofadraweropening—allaresavoredsoundsthatmakeusfeelathome.Inawell-lovedhome,everychairproducedadifferent,recognizablecreak,everywindowadifferentclick,groanorsqueak.
Thekitchenbyitselfisasourceofmanypleasingsounds.Everyplace,everyeventhasasounddimension.Thesenseofhearingcanperhapsberestoredtomodernmanifhebetterunderstandsitsworthandhowitworks.Mostpeoplewouldbesurprisedtodiscoverhowfarthesensecanbepushedbycultivation.Atafriend’shouserecently,mywifeopenedherpurseandsomecoinsspilledout,oneafteranother,ontothefloor.“Threequarters,twodimes,anickelandthreepennies,”saidourhostashecameinfromthenextroom.
Andasanafterthought:“Oneofthequartersissilver.”Hewasright,downtothelastpenny.“Howdidyoudoit?”weasked.“Tryityourself.”hesaid.Wedid,andwithalittlepracticewefounditeasy.Curiously,evidenceindicatesthatpeopleneedsound.Whenwearelostinthought,weinvoluntarilydrumwithourfingersortapwithapencil—areminderthatwearestillsurroundedbyaworldoutsideourselves.
Justcuttingdownreflectedsoundcanproducesomeoddresults.Thenearestthingonearthtothesilenceofouterspace,forexample,isthe“anechoicchamber”attheBellTelephoneLaboratoriesinBurrayHills,N.J.,whichislinedwithmaterialthatabsorbs99.98%ofallreflectedsound.Menwhohaveremainedintheroomformorethananhourreportthattheyfeelnervousandoutoftouchwithreality.
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