arnyk wrote: > Our hearing systems have evolved to maximize sensitivity to potential > existential threats such as large bloodthirsty predators given that our > brains and nervous systems which have relatively slow (but in the case > of the brain quite subtle) processing speeds and therefore are optimized > when data rates are lowered in optimal ways. Our sensory arguments > particularly our ears incorporate many mechanisms that reduce the data > rate of the information they transmit to the brain.
Morning Arny! Apologies for delay in responding, yet again I had visitors last night. I'm doing my little bit to give the lie to Alan Bennett's droll observation: "Television is more interesting than people - if it were not, we would have people standing in the corner of our rooms". (He said that a long time ago now, 50's/60's I would guess!) I'm pretty sure that this mission will be another one of my legendary heroic failures, but such principles are important to me. Am I now correct in my interpretation of what you saying is that we needed to keep our sensitivity to quiet sounds maximised at all times because that is all we'd get (if we were lucky) from such a hungry carnivore which would probably have adopted a stalking approach, & also possessed the ability to outpace us once it finally broke cover? Life must really have been a very precarious thing back in those days. Baby boomers like ourselves have in particular lived in charmed circumstances once we finally developed the ability to "double-think" away the true significance of both the awesomely destructive "beauty of our weapons" (to borrow from Leonard Cohen "First we take Manhattan") and the effect of our increasingly materialistic lifestyles on the global ecosystems which support us. I do not think this bubble will survive long enough to protect my children, & I am not relishing the prospect of ending my days in an under-staffed retirement hovel which is all I'm now likely to get if I live long enough. Even being a curmudgeon (which I am in training for) wouldn't help much in those circumstances, they'd just jab you up with anti-psychotics to make you more "manageable", while continuing to ignore the necessary procedures required to maintain any semblance of human dignity. I have now taken up smoking cigars in sheer desperation (after an 18 month long genuine "cold turkey" break from nicotine) although I have managed to completely avoid cigarettes: my blood pressure however is remaining stubbornly normal. Ce sera, sera I suppose. At least I'm not so bored as I was when living vice-free (software stubbornly refusing to insert emoticon to indicate a trace of "gallows humour" in this last bit, sorry). In fact, assuming that we do not all fall victim to the cumulative consequences of our stupidity first, the most significant threat to our individual continued existence these days comes from one particular aspect of our technology: the most dangerous activity that most of us undertake on a regular basis is to drive a motor vehicle on the public highway. I am in the most fortunate situation of not actually needing to drive at all, so that when I do I can pick & choose the time of day & the route that I take. I have a 14.5 year old open top sports car which provides a most satisfying driving experience whilst obeying all relevant speed limits, & is capable enough in terms of grip, braking, handling & (least importantly) performance to give me a better chance of avoiding hurting anyone else (& myself) should a genuine emergency develop. Practically every time I take it out however I witness substandard driving behaviour perpetrated by motorists seemingly unaware that they have been granted a licence to operate a lethal weapon that cannot be disarmed & which does not have a safety catch (other than parking it up & taking the keys out). Frankly, it is surprising that there are not more RTA's in the UK where our roads are very busy. When I really feel the urge, I book myself into a Track Day at my local circuit (Goodwood): it's a challenging circuit even with a relatively low-powered vehicle as my 2002 Mazda MX-5 (Miata), but there is a great sense of satisfaction when you get the weight transfer and line right on its tricky corners. Top speed - don't know, I was too busy sighting my braking point & the correct line for Woodcote, but I know I hit the rev limiter in 4th (which translates to 115mph) on the Lavant straight, changed up to 5th & continued to accelerate as per racing manual instructions (if you're not braking, you should be accelerating!) until reaching the approach to Woodcote, so I think we're comfortably talking low to mid 120's. It's not cheap (c. £400 for the day) & it annihilates your fuel consumption (you're lucky to get 12mpg) but it's fantastic fun & allows you to explore the true capabilities of your car in a way that would be both illegal & grossly irresponsible on public roads. They only allow 12 cars on the circuit at any 1 time and it's both fully & very professionally marshalled which is why it's as expensive as it is. Statistically much safer than driving the same distance on public highway - for one thing you know there's nothing coming the other way. If anything did go wrong you're not going to hurt anybody else. Highly recommended just for the fun, but what you learn might save the day in a real emergency so a serious purpose too! Trying to drag myself back to the point now, I suppose wiping out such large carnivores as you reference in Europe is something else we have to thank the Romans for: I believe that you still have a few in the more remote parts of North America. It wasn't done anything like long enough ago for our hearing systems to have further evolved significantly though, so we would indeed be left with all these previously life-protecting mechanisms. I am being to wonder now whether I can actually have any real capacity to listen to music at all (half-serious, half-joking here, can't find the right emoticon)... If you met my 18 year old cat, you'd appreciate that it's not only -*large*- bloodthirsty creatures you need to be wary of :D (caught one!). Although we've finally reached a position of mutual respect (probably based on the recognition that neither of us are quite tame), it took a very long time. I took her over when she was 4 and something or more likely someone had seriously spooked her. I can't count the number of bites & scratches I've had over the years - it wasn't until I went out one night & chased off a big tomcat she was having a territorial dispute with that she started to realise that I'd got her back. That was probably only 5 or 6 years ago. She's gradually got more affectionate as she's got older & I've happily despatched another couple of marauding tomcats along the way (they don't ever come back - I don't hurt them of course just adopt a bellicose manner & charge at them waving my arms about to appear as big as possible - anyway, they started it) but she still has serious cattitude, lol. And she won't let anyone except me stroke her, which I find rather endearing although I'd rather she had some other human friends as well. It's her birthday this month, & since I don't know the exact day we're celebrating them all. 18 is a big one: I'm trying to work out a way to get her registered to vote in our upcoming General Election (this would probably be a criminal activity, the authorities are not strong on their sense of humour), although one more howl of protest would make little difference to the Tory majority in my South Coast constituency. I mustn't get started on politics, I've caused enough trouble with religion earlier! Dave :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Golden Earring's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=66646 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=106914
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