research: right vs left ear

[Sarah Fox]

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Hi Jason

Fascinating stuff, to be sure! =20

Be careful to understand the stimuli correctly, though:  Sustained tones =
(narrow band), vs. clicks (broad band).  There are no "patterns" in the =
sustained tone stimuli.  Rather, the patterning would be in the clicks.  =
Also, the analog vs. digital reference isn't quite right.  It's all =
analog.  The left ear seems to "respond" preferentially to narrow band =
(tonal) stimuli, while the right ear seems to "respond" preferentially =
to broad band (click) stimuli.

I suspect the two ears are much the same and that it is efferent =
activity (from the brain to the inner ear) that is responsible for the =
differences.  What the authors are doing is measuring the otoacoustic =
emission.  They play a sound into the ear and then "listen" to the =
response of the ear via a tiny microphone.  Yes, the ear actually =
"rings" back when this is done.  It's a bit like the feedback of a PA =
system, and there are active elements in the inner ear (outer hair =
cells) that seem to be responsible for this feedback.  The activity of =
these active elements are apparently modulated by feedback from the =
brain.  I would *guess* that the amplitude of the otoacoustic emission =
has something to do with the brain's "interest" in the information =
coming from the ear.  More to the point, perhaps the brain can fine-tune =
the response properties of the ear to refine the information it needs.  =
Frankly this is all new to me, and my next email will probably be to a =
colleague who does research in this area.

So do we listen to our tunings more with our left ears?  Frankly, if =
we're listening to (and counting) beats, I bet we're doing more =
right-ear work.  In the end, both sides of the brain are going to get =
information from both ears, and it's really going to be a whole-brain =
sort of activity.  This left-brain vs. right-brain stuph is taken =
waaaaay to the extreme, IMO.  In reality, both sides of the brain make =
their respective contributions, in their respective styles, forming a =
seamless, well choreographed synthesis.  It's a bit like a business =
partnership involving two people of very different personalities and =
abilities.  These people would work together, discuss the workings of =
the business, and come to mutual decisions.  The company would function =
just the same, ideally, no matter which partner you talk to.  However, =
you might get a quicker response from one partner than from the other.

Incidentally, Diane (Hofstetter), taken at face value, these results =
would suggest that the left ear is going to be more prone to damage from =
narrow-band stimuli.  The question is one of "how much."  I think we can =
take a clue from the sample size.  THREE THOUSAND babies were tested, so =
I suspect the differences were very small (and almost negligible).  And =
why did they test babies?  Simple.  There's too much variability in left =
ear vs. right ear sensitivity in adults, so the tiny differences are =
engulfed in the statistical noise.  Bet ya'!!  ;-)

Peace,
Sarah

OT PS: I just installed XP's SP2 and didn't have any trouble.  It was =
HUUUUUUGE, though.  (I thought I already had SP2 preinstalled, but in =
fact it was SP1.)  Hint:  If you do it, be sure you have a cable =
connection.  If you don't have one, carry your computer over to a =
friend's house and plug in.  If you attempt this upgrade with dial-up, =
the installation will likely be bungled.

OT PPS: Unrelated to the PS, I've had some problems with my email.  If =
anyone has had trouble reaching me over the past couple of days, that =
might be why.  There are no bounces, BTW!



----- Original Message -----=20
  From: jason kanter=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 3:39 PM
  Subject: research: right vs left ear


  We all know about right-handedness and left-handedness, right-eyed and =
left-eyed dominance, and the ongoing research about the differences =
between the functioning of the left brain vs right brain. Now there is =
evidence that the left and right ears are "programmed" differently. "We =
were intrigued to discover that the clicks triggered more amplification =
in the baby's right ear, while the tones induced more amplification in =
the baby's left ear," suggesting that the left ear, being connected to =
the right brain hemisphere, is better at tones/patterns/waves/analog =
info while the right ear is designed from birth to specialize in =
"clicks",  which are digital/consonants/binary pulses fed to the left =
brain. See scientific american:

  =
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=3Dsa003&articleID=3D0000EC2C-11A4=
-1142-87D683414B7F4945

  Do we listen to our tunings more with our left ears?

  | |   | | |   | |   | | |   | |   | | |   | |   | | |   | |   | | |   =
| |   | | |   | | =20
  Jason Kanter . piano tuning regulation repair
  jkanter@rollingball.com . cell 425 830 1561
  serving the eastside and the san juans
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