Journal Entry #10: Super-Sensory Hearing

Newspaper article: Key to Super-Sensory Hearing? Newly Identified Hearing Organ in Bushcrickets' Ears May Inspire Acoustic Sensors

Article by: ScienceDaily

http://images.sciencedaily.com/2012/11/121115141538-large.jpg

Summary of the Article

Scientists from the University of Lincoln and Bristol have discovered an organ, called the “Auditory Vesicle” in the ear of a bushcricket. This organ converts sound waves to mechanical, hydraulic, and electrochemical energy. This discovery reveals that the bushcricket ear does “air to liquid impedance conversion and amplification” like the ear of a mammal. Dr. Fernando Montealegre-Z, one of the researchers who discovered the new organ, plans to further study the ears of different bushcricket species in order to understand how the insects can each other’s high pitched sounds over long distances.
This research could be used by engineers to better design and make hearing aids and medical imaging systems.

Analysis

The article uses a lot of scientific terminology, such as, “air to liquid impedance conversion and amplification” and “tympanal lever system.” Although some of the terms and concepts that are mentioned in the article are explained, further explanation would help make it easier for people who do not have a science background to understand the article. There doesn’t seem to be any bias in the article as the information is presented in a factual way with quotes from the people involved.

Thoughts and Opinion

The information presented is interesting as it shows that new discoveries are made every day. For example, after reading this article, I was surprised at the fact that scientists had discovered a new organ since I thought that biologists had already discovered all the organs and were working on genetics and DNA. However it showed me that new discoveries can be and are still being made today in areas that I thought were not likely for new discoveries.

After reading the article, I had only two questions. What does “air to liquid impedance” mean? The second one is when will the results of the second study (the one on how some bushcricket species hear high pitched sound over a long distance) be released and how will it change technology of hearing aids.

I looked up the definition of acoustic impedance at Dictionary.com and found the following definition: “the total reaction of a medium to the transmission of sound through it, expressed as the ratio of sound pressure to particle velocity at a given point in the medium.”

This definition makes no sense to me, but from what I interpret, air to liquid impedance is the resistance faced by sound waves when passing from the air to the water.
 

"Acoustic Impedance." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/acoustic impedance?s=t>.

"Key to Super-Sensory Hearing? Newly Identified Hearing Organ in Bushcrickets' Ears May Inspire Acoustic Sensors." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115141538.htm>.