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Our brains are finely tuned to use sound to interpret what goes on around us. We are surrounded by sounds telling us something. People can hear 20-100 times faster than they see, and animals use sound to function as well as talk to each other. Hearing sounds is critical to safety and survival. Listen to hear about the many places, including space, where sounds can be found, and how listening is a tool for understanding the world.
Story Length: 7:18
© 2015 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.
AIR DATE: 09/10/2015
December 23, 2015
7:18
Elephants roar and stomp and make loud sounds. They also make other sounds too low for humans to hear. Researchers are studying the secret signals of elephants by living among them in Africa. The audible calls are just a fraction of the elephants’ conversation. They have a longer ear canal, bigger eardrums and can hear much lower frequencies than people can. Researchers have matched the rumbling sounds with specific behaviors, such as looking for a baby elephant or greeting each other. Listen to hear more about the hidden language of elephants.
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