Re:Why do we turn the music down when parking?
by sandworm101 on Saturday August 15, 2015 @02:42PM
(#10066353)
Attention? Neuroscience? Talk about overthinking a problem. I lost respect for the article when it didn't use the word "noise" even once.
There is a little bone/muscle combination in your ear (??Tensor Timpany??) that acts as a gain control. While you drive, the background road noise causes your ear to reduce its gain. This makes all noises seem less and protects your ear. Then when you stop/park the road noise is gone, the muscles relax, and the music now seems louder. So you turn the volume down because it is uncomfortably loud for you, not due to any sociological or neurological factors.
This is why you need to turn the volume up in a convertible. It is also why people sing louder in the shower because, to them near the white noise of the water, they don't seem as loud.
And this process causes stress onboard planes or other constantly-loud environments. That little muscle in your ear gets tired. Stress around loud noises is partially a physical rather than purely psychological stress.
There is a little bone/muscle combination in your ear (??Tensor Timpany??) that acts as a gain control. While you drive, the background road noise causes your ear to reduce its gain. This makes all noises seem less and protects your ear. Then when you stop/park the road noise is gone, the muscles relax, and the music now seems louder. So you turn the volume down because it is uncomfortably loud for you, not due to any sociological or neurological factors.
This is why you need to turn the volume up in a convertible. It is also why people sing louder in the shower because, to them near the white noise of the water, they don't seem as loud.
And this process causes stress onboard planes or other constantly-loud environments. That little muscle in your ear gets tired. Stress around loud noises is partially a physical rather than purely psychological stress.