Ears
Ears are specialised organs found in vertebrates for detecting sounds. In mammals, the inner ears are also involved in sensing and maintaining balance, while the outer and middle ears collect and amplify sound. Around one in six British people suffer hearing loss, which can occur for a variety of reasons and commonly develops as people age, with around 40 per cent of people over 50 years old experiencing some hearing loss.
What we're getting wrong about dementia
There’s a lot of noise being made about a possible link between hearing loss and dementia. But what does the science have to say?
What are earlobes for?
They probably don't help you hear better
New app could drastically improve tinnitus symptoms
Tinnitus could be tackled through the use of a new app from a team of international researchers.
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Wearing headphones might be helping bacteria grow in your ears
Sealing off the entrance to your ears can increase the population of bugs.
Can you make a functioning candle from earwax?
According to Shrek the movie, it can. But is this really possible?
Tinnitus: Everything you need to know
What is it? What causes it? How is it treated? Will it go away on its own? All your questions, answered.
Why is there a left and right on headphones?
It's worth paying attention to the way they're labelled.
New device could allow you to control a computer with your inner ear muscle
The Earswitch device is being designed to help people with neurological conditions communicate using a computer keyboard.
Which of our senses evolved first?
Asked by: Adam King, Huddersfield
New hearing aid that costs less than £1 to make could help millions
The low-cost device, designed by a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology, hangs around the user’s neck in a 3D-printed case.
Alzheimer's could be triggered by hearing loss
The brain's memory centre, the temporal lobe, is also responsible for the manipulation of auditory information.
More than 1 in 10 report post-COVID-19 hearing deterioration
Researchers of a small scale study say there is an urgent need for more research into how the disease impacts the audiovestibular system.
Loud music puts young people at risk of undetected hearing damage
A part of the inner ear which helps in sound detection functioned less efficiently in people exposed to the highest levels of noise in clubs and concerts.
Why can’t we close our ears like we can close our eyes?
Asked by: Emre Yorgancıgil, Istanbul, Turkey
Why have dogs evolved to hear higher pitches than us?
Dogs have high-frequency hearing, which means that they can hear sounds that humans cannot.
Why do we feel dizzy when we spin?
Overcompensation from your brain can make it hard to keep your balance.
Why do earplugs amplify internal noises?
The bigger a drum’s body, the deeper is its sound – it’s all about the sound box.
Why does the inside of a shell sound like the sea?
Giving you some good vibrations at the seaside!
Through the Ears of the Bats
We speak to Antoine Bertin at Bluedot Festival 2016 about an audio installation that enables us to hear the world of bats and experience their incredible powers of echolocation.
Which evolved first: eyes or ears?
It's up in the air whether early lifeforms developed seeing or hearing first.
Five famous earworms
People have been struggling to cope with catchy tunes for decades – it’s not just a modern phenomenon.
How do we know where sounds are coming from?
We have only two ears, so why are we so good at pinpointing exactly where a sound has come from?
Why do some people feel sick if they read in a moving vehicle?
Motion sickness in general is caused when your inner ear and your eyes disagree about whether you’re moving. When you read in a car, your visual field stays still but your inner ear detects the twists and turns.
Why do old men have big ears?
All the better to hear you with, my dear...