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
silber@uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU (04/15/86)
/* Written 11:38 am Apr 9, 1986 by koko@uthub.UUCP in uiucdcsp:net.sci */ > 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? Perhaps it is an instinctual response to a sound which, long ago, represented danger of somesort. (Maybee large predators made the sound.) If our current culture were to last a million years, perhaps we would develop instincts which would result in our jumping when honked at by geese? The next section is a deliberate parody, please no flames: It is obvious that the above argument is correct, but that, other than chalk-boards etc. nothing now makes that sound. Thus we prove conclusively that there must have existed an "age of bozos", no make that "AGE OF BOZOS" when the world was covered by large slabs of chalk, and sharp clawed predators stalked us, making that awful skreeing sound as they did so. Where did all this chalk come from? It is actually the petrified form of the manna fed to the children of Israel, as the bible says that what was not consumed was wasted and spoiled (except on Friday where it managed to last over the sabbath.) Obviously, it fell from Venus or something like that. Ami Silberman (Now we get to see if Ted Holden reads this newsgroup)