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We all have sounds that we can’t stand. Nails on a chalkboard is a classic one that sends shivers up the spines of many people‚ and you probably have your own personal pet peeves as well (knuckle-cracking‚ anyone?). But have you ever stopped to wonder why it is that we’re extra-sensitive to some sounds? And is it just something we have to put up with? We asked an audiologist for the lowdown.What sounds cause the most discomfort?The sounds that usually cause a problem for people tend to be either very loud or very high-pitched. “Some common examples of really loud or high-pitched noises are the smoke alarms in your home or an ambulance going by on the street‚” Jodi Sasaki-Miraglia AuD‚ director of Professional Education Programs for hearing aid manufacturer Widex USA‚ told IFLScience.“Other common examples include fireworks shows‚ loud construction sounds or attending a concert where the loudness and acoustics of the venue makes your night out uncomfortable or unpleasant.”Of course‚ in the case of the smoke alarm and the ambulance siren‚ one could argue that the whole point is to use a loud sound that’s difficult to ignore. Most of the time‚ you’re not going to be exposed to these noises for very long. But a concert or firework show will likely go on for a few hours‚ and if you’re unlucky enough to live across from a construction site you’ll know very well how painful that can be to listen to for days on end.“ALL of those scenarios should be accompanied by using hearing protection to avoid damaging your hearing permanently or making your sound sensitivity worse‚” Sasaki-Miraglia stressed.While anyone could be rattled by a neighbor’s loud hammering on a Saturday morning‚ or an evening spent trying to shout over the music to talk to your friends in the bar‚ some people’s sound sensitivity becomes a real problem that affects them day-to-day. What’s going on there? Loudness discomfort levelsAs we’ve seen‚ louder and higher-pitched sounds are generally less comfortable to listen to than quieter and lower sounds‚ but people’s tolerance for this can vary. Thankfully‚ there’s a handy test that an audiologist can perform to figure out someone’s unique loudness discomfort level (LDL).“The Cox Contour Test created by the late Dr Robyn Cox‚ PhD from the University of Memphis‚ Hearing Aid Research Lab is a common clinical test that is used in audiology clinics today‚” Sasaki-Miraglia told IFLScience.The test works by having the patient listen to a series of low to high-pitched sounds and judge how loud they seem on a seven-point scale. From the results‚ an audiologist will have a good idea of a person’s baseline LDL and can tailor any prescribed hearing devices they may need accordingly.“Knowing the loudness limits for each person allows for a truly customized prescription hearing instrument fitting for all!” said Sasaki-Miraglia.What are the causes of sound sensitivity?“It is common to see lower LDL’s in people with specific types of hearing loss conditions like noise-induced hearing loss or sensorineural [hearing loss affecting the inner ear structures or auditory nerves]‚” Sasaki-Miraglia explained to IFLScience.Excuse us while we just turn down the volume on our earphones…“People who experience ringing in their ears or tinnitus‚ or those who have auditory processing challenges may also have lower than expected LDL’s.”There are also various conditions that make people sensitive to sounds in different ways.One example is hyperacusis‚ which can sometimes result from other medical issues like Lyme disease or migraine. As Sasaki-Miraglia explained‚ “Hyperacusis is not related to loud sounds. The condition presents a situation where sounds that seem ‘normal’ in loudness to most can be unbearably loud to those who have hyperacusis.” This means that something as simple as the jingling of coins in someone’s pocket can sound intolerably loud and even painful.Other people experience irrational anger at certain noises‚ due to an increasingly well-recognized condition called misophonia. Recent research suggests that this is more common than previously thought‚ affecting up to one in five people in the UK alone. Rather than being a problem with the brain’s auditory processing system‚ as you might expect‚ one study suggested that the sounds people with misophonia find so intolerable are actually activating neural circuits that control the movement of the facial muscles. This seems to give people a sense of these sounds “intruding” into their own bodies‚ leading to feelings of anger or revulsion.Whatever its underlying cause‚ though‚ there’s no doubting the rage that someone with misophonia experiences when exposed to their trigger sound. Sasaki-Miraglia told us that common triggers include noises of other people “chewing‚ breathing‚ [or] clearing [their] throat.”“The more unusual sound sensitivities typically are associated with [...] misophonia and hyperacusis. Many misophonia patients say they are bothered by mouth sounds‚ like chewing‚ gulping‚ lip smacking or even breathing.”For some‚ a dislike of loud noises can develop into a full-blown anxiety disorder called phonophobia. This is not necessarily linked to hearing issues‚ but can be more common in people with sensory processing difficulties – such as may be found in autistic individuals – and migraine sufferers. Like any phobia‚ phonophobia is an extreme‚ irrational fear‚ and sufferers can experience panic symptoms when exposed to loud noises‚ or even just the threat of a loud noise.But just as one person’s trash is another’s treasure‚ so there are two sides of the sound sensitivity coin. Certain sounds that trigger sensitivity‚ and even misophonia‚ in some people might be absolute bliss for others. A recent trend on TikTok demonstrated this nicely‚ when people took to rolling breakable items – especially glass bottles – down staircases. This symphony of crashing and smashing would have many people covering their ears‚ but others swear it provokes a joyous sensation called the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)‚ sometimes more evocatively known as a “head orgasm”. Those who experience ASMR often describe a relaxing‚ tingling sensation triggered by various sounds – for some‚ it’s smashing glass; for others‚ it’s whispering‚ tapping‚ even hair-brushing.    A pleasant way to soothe anxieties and fall asleep‚ or a one-way ticket to nightmare-land? Each to their own. Is there any way to treat sound sensitivity?“If you are living with sound sensitivity‚ the best course of action is to seek counsel from a licensed audiologist‚” Sasaki-Miraglia told IFLScience. “They will provide you with a comprehensive evaluation‚ treatment options and guided education about your individual sound sensitivity condition. It is not uncommon to uncover a few reasons that could have contributed to your sound sensitivity.” In this case‚ Dr Google is probably also not your friend.“You may read information on the internet that may lead you down a bumpy path of options or proposed solutions that cost a lot of money and are not backed by evidence respected in the audiology and medical profession‚” added Sasaki-Miraglia. Rather‚ it’s important to seek individual medical advice‚ as one person’s hyperacusis or tinnitus treatment can be very different from someone else’s.If your sound sensitivity is causing you anxiety‚ meaning you might be experiencing phonophobia‚ various treatments may be offered by a mental health professional‚ such as cognitive behavioral therapy.We all have to deal with irritating noises from time to time‚ but sometimes that irritation can turn into something much more. If sound sensitivity is affecting your daily life‚ it could be time to seek medical advice – there may be more treatment options out there than you think!As Sasaki-Miraglia concluded‚ “No matter the cause‚ the proper consultation and diagnosis from an audiologist can improve patient outcomes and the quality of your life.”The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Whether it's the oldest water on Earth‚ lava‚ or the sludgy remains of an ancient corpse found inside a giant black sarcophagus‚ the public only has one question on their mind: what does it taste like?That question‚ it turns out‚ stretches to deadly radioactive metals. People on the Internet have apparently been wondering what plutonium tastes like lately‚ leading to some perplexing Google search results. According to the screenshot‚ the answer is that it has notes of sour and sweet‚ presumably drowning out the umami of "I'm going to die soon".So‚ the question people are apparently dying to know‚ does plutonium really taste like candy? No. The Google answer appears to have picked up a review from a website for the pear-flavored candy product Plutonium Pear Nuclear Energy Powder.        IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Unsurprisingly‚ plutonium is often described as having a metallic taste‚ rather than pear flavor. How do we know this? One man‚ an American chemist by the name of Donald F. Mastick‚ really did taste it. While working on the Manhattan Project‚ a vial of plutonium chloride dissolved in acid exploded‚ with a small amount going into Mastick's mouth. He tasted a mix of the acid and a metallic taste. It wasn't what you'd typically describe as "a great situation". When Mastick opened his mouth‚ radiation monitors went nuts‚ and his urine contained traces of plutonium for years after the incident. At the time they dealt with it by pumping his stomach several times. As plutonium is precious‚ it was recovered from his stomach contents to be reused in future experiments.

The height differences between Neolithic male and female people in northern Europe may have been influenced by cultural factors. That’s the findings of a new study that suggests genetics and dietary factors are not sufficient to explain the differences in height of these ancient people who lived around 8‚000 to 6‚000 years ago.Today‚ we know that culture and health are linked‚ but how and when did this happen?Height is one indicator of health‚ and being shorter than expected based on your genetics could suggest adverse environmental and/or dietary issues. Existing research has shown that Neolithic humans did not reach their genetic height potential‚ but it is unknown how this differed across regions and between the sexes.To shed light on this‚ Samantha Cox‚ from the Department of Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine‚ University of Pennsylvania‚ and an international and interdisciplinary team of colleagues assessed data from 1‚535 individuals who lived in the early Neolithic era.The team used ancient DNA‚ stable isotope analysis (to assess diet)‚ palaeopathology (to study health status)‚ and skeletal measurements. This was conducted on skeletons from North Central and South Central Europe‚ the Balkans‚ and the Mediterranean. The individuals’ sex was classified by chromosomal sex or skeletal morphology.“By integrating genetic and anthropological data‚ we are able to begin to understand the contributions of genetics and environment to human variation‚ allowing us to better interpret the genetic‚ environmental and cultural landscapes of Neolithic Europe‚” the authors wrote.The results show that people living in North Central Europe had higher levels of environmental stress‚ regardless of sex‚ but that female stature was low despite genetic scores identical to those of male individuals.They suggest there must have been cultural preferences that supported male recovery from stress. In contrast‚ in Mediterranean populations‚ the difference between the sexes was reduced‚ suggesting there were no such cultural preferences protecting male individuals from environmental stresses.“We therefore hypothesize that the effects of high environmental stress in the North were modulated by culture‚” the authors explain.Although it is not clear what these cultural factors were exactly‚ other research has shown specific instances where culture buffers males against environmental factors‚ which creates vulnerability for females.“[T]here is an association between decreased female stature and polygyny in cultures around the globe; female height was more influenced by economic conditions during infancy and early childhood than males in lower-class nineteenth-century Europe; sexual dimorphism ratios in modern Chile decreased after the institution of social and government programs to combat gender inequality; twentieth-century female stature decreased in India during times of environmental stress due to sexually disproportionate investment of scarce resources; and son preference has been shown to decrease the height of female children in Indian families regardless of birth order.”The researchers suggest that culturally mediated differences led to sex-specific stress responses for Neolithic Central Europe that either directly led to lower female stature or‚ “more likely‚ supported catch-up growth preferentially in males.”Although this study provides valuable insights into the factors that impacted height differences in this period and in this geographic region‚ there are limits. This relates to the limited amount of available archaeological data.“In this study we focused on the European Early Neolithic because of its relative genetic‚ cultural and environmental homogeneity‚ but‚ with more data‚ these methods could be extended to other populations‚ traits and timescales to further explore the effects of human culture on biological variation‚” the authors explained. The study is published in Nature Human Behaviour.

We hope you've been looking up at the sky lately‚ as December 13 and 14 sees the peak of the Geminid meteor shower‚ one of the strongest (and prettiest) meteor showers this year.Objects burn with different colors depending on their chemical composition as they fall through the atmosphere. “Most meteors appear to be colorless or white‚ however the Geminids appear with a greenish hue‚" Bill Cooke‚ lead for the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center said in a NASA statement. "They’re pretty meteors!”The green hue comes from the oxygen‚ magnesium‚ and nickel content‚ according to NASA. People have been sharing their own views of the meteor shower‚ from what we now realize is a mundane angle of "below".     IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen‚ meanwhile‚ has captured a meteor entering Earth's atmosphere from above."A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to capture a shooting star on video. It was over in the blink of an eye‚ so the second part of the video shows it slowed down‚" Mogensen wrote on X (Twitter). "The path of the meteor is straight‚ but it does look wonky‚ due to my hand movement and the camera trying to compensate for it."         IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites."Speaking of shooting stars‚ the next couple of nights is the peak of the Geminids‚ which could give up to 120 shooting stars an hour‚" Mogensen added‚ continuing our own pleas for you to get outside and look up. "As the name suggests‚ the meteor shower has is origin in the Gemini constellation‚ which will rise in the evening from the East in most of Europe. If you have trouble spotting the constellation‚ you can always look straight up as the shooting stars often cross the skies above us. Who knows‚ you might get a wish come true."There's still time to see it as the shower lasts from November 19 to December 24‚ but the best remaining views should be tonight.

Around 1‚200 tonnes of fish have washed ashore along the coast of Japan. While the cause is still under investigation‚ authorities were keen to dampen conspiracy theories that it’s related to the recent release of water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.Colossal quantities of dead sardines and mackerel have washed up along a stretch of the coastline of the city of Hakodate on Japan's northernmost island since December 7‚ according to the Asahi Shimbun.Nearly 900 kilometers (560 miles) away at Nakiri fishing port in Central Japan’s Shima‚ another huge load of Japanese scaled sardines‚ or sappa‚ were found dead around December 13‚ the Mainichi Shimbun reports."I've never seen anything like this before‚" a fisherman who’s been working in Nakiri for 25 years‚ told the newspaper. He added: "It was only around last year that we began to catch sappa in Nakiri. It makes me feel the marine ecosystem is changing." IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Researchers at Hokkaido Research Organization reportedly explained that mass die-offs like this can occur due to sudden changes in water temperature‚ or when schools of fish are fleeing from dolphins and other predators. However‚ the reason behind the unusual deaths is not fully understood.The Mail Online‚ a British tabloid‚ reported on the die-off saying that the incident was “prompting speculation that the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant has wrought havoc on local ecosystems.” Many similar claims were also posted on social media. In August‚ Japan went ahead with its controversial plan to dump treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the Pacific Ocean over a 30-year process.However‚ Japanese authorities argue that there’s no reason to believe that Fukushima’s wastewater is to blame.Responding to the claims‚ Hakodate Fisheries Agency said: “There have been no abnormalities found in the results of water-monitoring surveys. We are concerned about the proliferation of information that is not based on scientific evidence‚” according to Japanese media. The plan to pump radioactive wastewater into the ocean worried many people in Japan and beyond. China and South Korea were highly critical of the proposal‚ while environmental NGO Greenpeace accused the owner of the nuclear plant of “using the Pacific Ocean as a dumping ground.”However‚ the water has been extensively treated and diluted to such an extent that its levels fall well below the regulatory limits imposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In regards to radioactive isotopes‚ it would be technically safe to drink the water (ignoring the fact that it’s salty seawater‚ not freshwater).In an attempt to quell fears‚ Japan’s Prime Minister‚ Fumio Kishida‚ even ate some sashimi made from fish caught off the coast of Fukushima. Yep‚ just like Mr Burns eating the three-eyed fish in that early episode of The Simpsons. How do their writers always pull off these wild predictions?

A team of scientists from the SETI Institute‚ University of California Davis and the Alaska Whale Foundation‚ had a close encounter with a non-human (aquatic) intelligence. The Whale-SETI team has been studying humpback whale communication systems in an effort to develop intelligence filters for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. In response to a recorded humpback ‘contact’ call played into the sea via an underwater speaker‚ a humpback whale named Twain approached and circled the team’s boat‚ while responding in a conversational style to the whale ‘greeting signal.’ During the 20-minute exchange‚ Twain responded to each playback call and matched the interval variations between each signal. A description and analysis of the encounter appears in a recent issue of the journal Peer J. entitled: “Interactive Bioacoustic Playback as a Tool for Detecting and Exploring Nonhuman Intelligence: “Conversing” with an Alaskan Humpback Whale.” “We believe this is the first such communicative exchange between humans and humpback whales in the humpback “language‚” said lead author Dr. Brenda McCowan of U.C. Davis. “Humpback whales are extremely intelligent‚ have complex social systems‚ make tools – nets out of bubbles to catch fish -‚ and communicate extensively with both songs and social calls‚” said coauthor Dr. Fred Sharpe of the Alaska Whale Foundation. “Because of current limitations on technology‚ an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrials will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers. This important assumption is certainly supported by the behavior of humpback whales‚” said Dr. Laurance Doyle of the SETI Institute‚ a coauthor on the paper. Similar to studying Antarctica as a proxy for Mars‚ the Whale-SETI team is studying intelligent‚ terrestrial‚ non-human communication systems to develop filters to apply to any extraterrestrial signals received. The mathematics of information theory to quantify communicative complexity – (for example rule structure embedded in a received message) will be utilized. Other team members and coauthors of the paper are Dr. Josie Hubbard‚ Lisa Walker‚ and Jodi Frediani‚ with specialties in animal intelligences‚ humpback whale song analysis‚ and photography and behavior of humpback whales‚ respectively. A second paper by the team will soon be available on the non-audio communicative behavior of humpback whales – bubble rings made in the presence of (and possibly for) humans. The authors would like to acknowledge the Templeton Foundation Diverse Intelligences Program for financial support of this work. The post Whale communication research may help contact extraterrestrials appeared first on Anomalien.com.

From the award-winning director of ‘God vs. Aliens‚’ a popular movie on Tubi in the US‚ comes a new documentary exploring the otherworldly aspects of UFOs. The documentary ‘God vs. UFOs’ delves into the potential links between UFOs and the paranormal‚ while also investigating whether science‚ particularly the enigmatic realm of quantum physics‚ can provide explanations for these phenomena. It also looks at the religious and spiritual side of UFOs with many in the British and US Governments sincerely believing that UFOS are demonic or satanic in origin. It also looks into Project Blue Beam which is a conspiracy theory alleging that the deep state or Illuminati are planning to use cutting edge holographic technology to create a false flag Alien Invasion or a fake flag second coming of Christ. The aim is put populations into fear and to usher in a One World Government. Nick Pope who worked for the UK’s Ufo desk at the Ministry Of Defence states: “the idea that through a combination of maybe holographic projection technology‚ Hollywood special effects and government or deep state spin and manipulation‚ you could create a false narrative a false flag alien invasion or a false flag second coming. “And what this would then do‚ it would rather like some people say‚ well‚ 9-11 led to the introduction of the Patriot Act and the big state‚ deep state coming in and maybe taking some rights and freedoms‚ then use it to manipulate populations and the new world order takes over.” The film also looks at whether UFOs could be some of the inter-dimensional crafts or beings that humanity has been interacting with since time began. This could account for fairies and earth spirits that ancient cultures saw or even the biblical Angles and Demons. Maybe science could explain this? Prof Avi Loeb from Harvard University states that alien life might be using other dimensions to visit us which would explain how they are able to travel such vast distances across the universe. “One thing is clear that most stars form billions of years before the sun. So if another civilization like ours existed billions of years ago‚ they had much more time to develop their science and technology. “And it is possible that they would be able to figure out if there are extra special dimensions and take advantage of them. Using quantum gravity engineers. “And what that means is that‚ you know‚ if their technology is able to reach our doorstep‚ we would be at all because it would represent something we don’t possess‚ we don’t understand‚ just like a cave dweller coming to a city like London or New York‚ and seeing all the technological gadgets there. “There would be a sense of religious awe and we won’t fully understand what we are looking at‚ especially if one is dealing with the effects of quantum gravity that we have no clue about.” He adds that alien life in other dimensions would be far richer and more diverse: “And then one can imagine life in more than three spatial dimensions‚ it will be far more diverse and interesting in the sense that when you drive a highway in extra dimensions‚ the chance of a collisions is much smaller. “And there are many more opportunities for degrees of freedom of exercising your free will if we have it. And altogether I would expect life to be much richer.” Evelyn Hollow a parapsychologist looks a Quantum physics and whether this can explain ghosts and UFOs: “How do particles blip in and out of existence? But we know that they do. So is it possible that you had enough of these particles together or something else that’s governed by the same principles has the same components? Can it also blip in and out of existence?” The film also looks at those who have claimed to have manifested the appearance of UFOS simply by using their own minds. It’s called Close Encounters of the 5th Kind. John Hanson a retired CID detective and now owner of The Great British UFO Learning Centre states that he and a group of friends actually manifested Orb like UFOs whilst meditation in Rendelsham Forest which was actually the site of one of the most famous UK UFO landings back in 1980. Filmmakers also speak with renowned Demonologist Ian Broadmore who worked alongside Rev Paul Ingolsby on Admiral Lord Hill Norton’s report into UFOs which stated that they were demonic in origin. The post Harvard professor: aliens may be using other dimensions to visit us appeared first on Anomalien.com.