Nature | Research Highlights
Neuroscience: Sound learning
Volume: 465, Page: 529 (03 June 2010) doi:10.1038/465529d
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v465/n7298/full/465529d.html
Cited research: Neuron 66, 610–18 (2010)
http://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273%2810%2900285-0
To be able to recognize the source of a sound — a flute or a train,
say — we first have to learn that sound's acoustic characteristics.
Scientists in France report that such learning is subconscious, rapid
and remarkably robust.
Trevor Agus at the École normale supérieure in Paris and his
colleagues asked 12 volunteers to listen to a series of short snatches
of random noise, and to identify which of the snatches included
repetitions. Their success rate was below 50%.
But when one specific snatch containing repetition was secretly and
randomly interspersed at frequent intervals, the listeners quickly
became near-perfect in detecting repetition — even when the snatch was
compressed in time or reversed. Moreover, they retained the memory for
several weeks. A.A.
Enjoy!
Xiao
XIAO, Jianqiang, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Psychology Department
Rutgers University
152 Frelinghuysen Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
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