Hi Jeff and Martyn,
what a great video, and important message. You can't help but grieve over the
loss of habitat and natural soundscapes that have been replaced by aircraft,
car, snowmobile and other noise. It's tragic we weren't all recording natural
sounds (Martyn excluded of course) 20 years ago. You're doing really important
stuff, Jeff. Keep up the good work!!
Just reading last night (The Brain that Changes Itself -- Doidge) about the
critical development phase that babies' and children's brains make during which
the brain is switched on for full neural development and high-intensity
learning. They're finding that white noise causes many more receptors to fire
than should, sending these new brains into overdrive, but nevertheless unable
to differentiate sounds. Normally, the brain shuts off the high-intensity
learning mode as the kid gets older, but white noise can cause the brain to
shut it down prematurely before the brain has figured out how to process
sensory inputs properly.
There's increasing evidence to suggest that growing up in a white noise world
can cause kids to be hypersensitive to sound and touch, less able to focus
attention, less able to interpret the sensory inputs their brains receive --
resulting in learning disabililities, ADD, speech problems, and autism. What do
you suppose the impact is on critters?
Fred
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