One of the most widespread images in noisy places is that of someone talking on a cell phone, covering the opposite ear . However, such a maneuver is useless. The best ploy is … cover the microphone ! Of course, when we are not talking. Thus, we can take advantage of the brain's ability to discriminate different signals: it is what is called the cocktail effect . In a lively party, our brain is able to distinguish a voice from the noise that surrounds us, thanks to the fact that all the noises come from different directions and do not sound the same. The mobile phone complicates our work because the ambient sound filters through the microphone and returns to us through the earpiece. This technological trap prevents us from perceiving well the voice of our interlocutor, already mixed with the noise of the room. But, if we cover the microphone with a finger, the noise does not reach the ear that we carry glued to the mobile and, therefore, we manage to take advantage of the cocktail effect.
Content of the section "Questions & answers" published in the extra issue of Very Interesting "The extraordinary powers of the brain" (2012). If you want to get this copy, request it at [email protected] or download it through the iPad application in the App Store.
