Get the latest gossip

‘Ear-marvellous’: how to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us


A fuller appreciation of the sounds that surround us can transform your life

And in some planetary systems circling distant stars, the soundless paths of their respective orbits are in ratios that can be expressed as almost perfect musical fourths, fifths and octaves. Our ears can sense tiny variations in air pressure: the quietest noises that a healthy young adult can detect will move the eardrum by less than the diameter of a hydrogen atom. African elephants can identify tiny changes in frequency and feel subtle vibrations in the ground, too, thanks to exquisitely sensitive touch cells in the soles of their huge feet.

Get the Android app

Or read this on The Guardian