Electrophonic hearing

Electrophonic hearing is the direct stimulation of the auditory nerves by external electromagnetic fields.^[1][2][3][4] In 1962 Allan H Frey carried out a series of experiments which proved that microwaves can produce the sound even in those who are deaf. The theory is unable to explain why only the sense of hearing is affected - though there are rare reports of people noting odd smells accompanying an aurora display.^[5] See also the discussion of the Electrophonic effect/Microwave auditory effect which covers various mechanisms in detail.

Electrophonic sounds

Electrophonic sound is the product of the direct conversion of electromagnetic radiation into audible sound.^[6] In 1962 Allan H Frey carried out a series of experiments which proved that microwaves can produce the sound even in those who are deaf.^[1] The phenomena may affect electromagnetic frequencies beyond the microwave region.

Use in medicine

The sensation of hearing due to an electric current passed through the head has been called Electrophonic Hearing. The effects have long been studied and have implications in the engineering of cochlear implants.^[7]

Natural and other phenomena

There are a number of reports, some more believable than other, of people hearing noises, etc. in under conditions outside the laboratory (in Nature, etc.) that are often explained by Electrophonic hearing.

Radio

There are a number of urban legends regarding people being able to hear the radio due to fillings, braces, bridge works, etc. Cecil Adams of the Straight Dope column was able to discover at least two reports.^[8]

Case #1. George, of suburban Chicago, lost a front tooth at the age of 12. A year or so later, in about 1961, he was fitted with a cap that was attached to the tooth stump with what George recalls as a brass wire. Thereafter he began hearing music in his head, generally popular tunes of the day, usually while he was outdoors. The music was soft but distinct. He never heard an announcer's voice or commercials and was unable to identify what radio station, if any, he was hearing. After a year or two of this a new dentist put in a cap without a wire and the tunes stopped.

Case #2. Lois, also of suburban Chicago, says it happened just once, in 1947, while she was riding a train from her home in Cleveland to college in Rhode Island at about age 18. The experience lasted maybe 10 minutes. She couldn't tell what station she was listening to but recalls hearing commercials and an announcer's voice. She has silver tooth fillings but doesn't recall if she'd had one put in just before the event.

During an interview with Dick Cavett in 1974 Lucille Ball claimed to have heard radio broadcasts during World War II — she even said that because of this she was able to help capture Japanese spies using a secret transmitter. Lucy mentioned her experience to Ethel Merman, who had it written into the musical she starred in a short time later, Cole Porter's Something for the Boys.^[9]

Meteors

Sometimes, after a meteor shower, people report hearing the meteors. Some exceptionally bright meteors have been reported as being accompanied by a low hissing sound – like bacon sizzling.^[10] These sounds are believed to be generated by very low frequency radio waves interacting with the local environment.^[10]

The 2001 Leonids produced numerous electrophonic sounds, according to a report by NASA.^[11]

The GEFS (Global Electrophonic Fireball Survey) is a project of the University of Kentucky and Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) with the purpose of collecting witness reports of electrophonic sounds from meteors and coordinating research efforts. They have collected over 100 reports of such phenomena.

Aurora

Witnesses report that the sound is like radio static, a small animal rustling through dry grass and leaves, or the crinkling of a cellophane wrapper.^[12][13]

According to the explorer Ernest W. Hawkes in his book, The Labrador Eskimo,^[14] Inuit folklore says

The whistling crackling noise which sometimes accompanies the aurora is the voices of these spirits trying to communicate with the people of the Earth. They should always be answered in a whispering voice. Youths dance to the aurora. The heavenly spirits are called selamiut, "sky-dwellers," those who live in the sky.

Extensive research was conducted by Janne Hautsalo of the Helsinki University of Technology, presented in his Master's Thesis entitled Study of Aurora Related Sound and Electric Field Effects.^[5]

Lightning

There are reports of people hearing “clicks” and “pops” coincident with lightning flashes, and well ahead of any thunder, that can only be explained this way.

References