I just couldn't resist posting this one. So many times I've lamented the obvious damage to my hearing from the excessive exposure to loud music that I've experienced in my life. At least now I can say that something beneficial has come from it, however!
In lifehacker's post Boost Your Brain's Health with Loud Music, they cite a recent article from Daily Mail that brings to light some information that explains why we all love the way it feels to experience loud, pumping bass.. And here I thought it was just because I couldn't hear well enough to enjoy it when it was quiet (just kidding):
According to researchers at Manchester University, music fans are stimulating part of the inner ear known as the sacculus, which responds to the beat in music. This gives the brain pleasure and makes us feel good — during the music and afterwards.
[When loud music is playing,] the brain is stimulated into releasing feelgood hormones that make us calm, happy and responsive. So to trigger a dose of happy hormones on a Monday morning, you should, in theory, choose Black Sabbath over chamber music.
...Or perhaps some dirty-as-hell minimal grooves, as the case may be. Whatever it is, the beat is crucial. Lifehacker goes on to point out that the research states that the sacculus only responds to sounds of 90db or more. That's pretty loud.
Just how loud is 90db? According to this page from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association on noise and hearing loss, it falls into the lower end of the "extremely loud" category, comparable to the noise produced by a lawnmower, shop tools, truck traffic, or a subway. And bear in mind, this is the minimum volume level to stimulate your sacculus.
Next time someone asks you to "turn it down", tell them to piss off-- nobody's coming between you and your sacculus stimulus. ;)
via [lifehacker.com] via [daily news]
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