jeff@mit-bug.UUCP (Jeff Rodriguez) (03/30/86)
Distribution:
Why do most people get chills all over their bodies when
they hear the sound of fingernails scraping down a chalkboard?
Of course, the same reaction can be caused by other similar sounds,
as well. It just doesn't make much sense. Any ideas?larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (03/31/86)
In article <1108@mit-bug.UUCP>, jeff@mit-bug.UUCP (Jeff Rodriguez) writes: > Why do most people get chills all over their bodies when > they hear the sound of fingernails scraping down a chalkboard? > Of course, the same reaction can be caused by other similar sounds, > as well. It just doesn't make much sense. Any ideas? I was once curious about that very same topic. Although I never went to the trouble of getting a definitive answer (like searching the literature, or asking a neurophysiologist), I did conduct an interesting experiment: I connected a condenser microphone to a Genrad realtime audio spectrum analyzer, and performed the above maneuver several times. I was amazed to find an exceptionally large amount of energy in the 10 kHz to 40 kHz region. I would surmise that a person's "reaction" results from this sound with many high frequency components, and comparatively few low frequency components - this being not a common type of sound. ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry ==> VOICE 716/688-1231 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ ==> seismo!/ ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/
koko@uthub.UUCP (M. Kokodyniak) (04/09/86)
> Distribution: > > > Why do most people get chills all over their bodies when > they hear the sound of fingernails scraping down a chalkboard? > Of course, the same reaction can be caused by other similar sounds, > as well. It just doesn't make much sense. Any ideas? I don't know about the chills, but whenever I hear that sound I get a strong urge to grit my teeth. This seems to make even less sense. Mike Kokodyniak