Do sea shells take the sound of the ocean with them, or is it all in our ears?
Putting your ear against the opening of a conch sea shell is a magical experience as a child. It is like an audible portal to the deep sea, where fishes are swimming and seaweed is swaying in the current. It’s a famous idea that you can hear the ocean in sea shells, but our adult community burst this bubble. Can you hear the ocean in sea shells? Is there another idea about what you’re hearing in sea shells that actually isn’t true? Keep reading to possibly discover something new.
Can You Hear the Ocean in Sea Shells?
Unfortunately, it is true that you cannot actually hear the ocean in sea shells. The conch shell is not holding the underwater sound waves made by the ocean from which it came. You might have been told any number of other reasons explaining the cause of its white noise sound. Its shape is the clue. Do you know what the real answer is?
Is It the Sound of Our Own Ears?
You might have been told that the static noise you hear is the sound of our blood rushing through the blood vessels in our ears. You might have believed all this time that you are just hearing the sounds made by your internal ear. This idea is proven false due to the lack of change whether the listener has a slower or racing heart beat rate. Whether you listen in a calm state or just after strenuous physical exercise, the sound doesn’t change in volume or pitch.
Is It the Sound of Airflow?
It could also be the sound of the air flowing in and out of the shell, and putting your ear against the opening simply amplifies it to you. This idea has also been disproven. If you try to listen to the noise a conch shell makes in a soundproof room, you will hear nothing.
Is It the Sound of Ambient Noise?
The most likely answer is that the conch shell is channeling the ambient sounds around it. The shell has a screw-like funnel shape with one large opening. It channels sound waves to some extent, and simply cupping your ears with your hands can produce a similar effect.
Trust the Experts at Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions
Need help with your hearing? Clarity Hearing can help. Clarity Audiology & Hearing Solutions is an independently owned and operated clinic that focuses on quality of care and personalized, friendly service to the surrounding areas of Ellicott City, Catonsville, Columbia. Our Doctors of Audiology are highly trained with advanced degrees and take the time to provide the personalized care and attention that you need and deserve. We provide advanced hearing aid options that are personally calibrated with cutting-edge digital technology to fit your hearing loss, your unique ear anatomy, and your individual listening needs.
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