Human Screams of Terror, 2

Using a modulation power spectrum, David Poeppel of New York University and colleagues analyzed human screams of terror. They found, for instance that screams of terror produce a sound that is unlike any other made by humans. It has auditory qualities that no other human vocalization shares. They found for example, that unlike human speech that typically changes less than 5 hertz per second (meaning it stays around the same volume), the loudness of screams quickly fluctuates anywhere from 30 to 150 hertz per second. These fluctuations give the sound of a scream of terror a quality referred to as roughness. The scientists asked volunteers to listen to a variety of screams of terror. The rougher the sound—or the larger the variation in volume within a scream—the more fearful-sounding the volunteers ranked it. More tomorrow.

Human Screams of Terror

There’s few human beings that would fail to recognize a scream of terror. But what makes that type of scream so universally recognizable? Up until recently, scientists studying human-produced noises have usually relied on a few conventional ways of visualizing the sounds. These included graphing the pressure of sound waves and/or plotting their frequencies over time. These study modalities when applied to human screams of terror, however, only revealed that these screams were louder and of higher pitch than normal speech. And, as David Poeppel of New York University put it, lots of things are loud and high-pitched. Using a modulation power spectrum that charts how quickly the volume of a sound changes over tiny amounts of time, Poeppel and colleagues decided to take another look at fearful screams, the type that make your hair stand on end. More tomorrow.

Singapore

While lecturing during my second visit to Singapore, Dr. Eric Teo Choon Chew along with his wife Cynthia and their son, took me to the top of the Tiger Sky Tower. Billed as Asia's tallest free standing observation tower, it provided a fabulous view of Singapore, which is certainly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. And so clean! There is no garbage on the streets anywhere (likely in part due to anti-littering legislation that is enforced, and to 'no gum chewing' regulations). As I mentioned earlier, exposing one's brain to new sights, sounds, smells, and tastes through travel can be age-proofing. And I’m definitely working on age-proofing mine!

Introduction to Crêpes

With some French in my genealogy, I have always enjoyed crêpes. (There must be some cellular memory impact there because I've loved them since first taste.) There is a wonderful restaurant in Bakersfield that serves crêpes, During the 12-week beta for the Longevity Lifestyle Program sponsored by Pacific Health Education Center, I managed a couple of visits at lunch time. My mouth waters just remembering! On his birthday, I introduced Patrick to crêpes. You may be able to tell by the look on his face that he’ll be trying them again!

Quentin and Voice Tone

Friends of mine have an over-abundance (my brain's opinion, smile) of large, beautiful, and unusual parrots. One of them, Quentin, is not only gorgeous but also kinesthetic and totally lovable. Unfortunately, he is not overly bright (and that is giving him the benefit of the doubt). Quentin will sit on my finger for almost as long as I will talk to him, ruffling his crest and stretching out a wing now and then. It doesn't matter what I say as long as I say it in a voice that is warm, pleasant, and affirming. On one occasion I said, "Quentin, how can a bird that is so beautiful be so completely dumb?" Then we just had to laugh because he preened and strutted as if I had just given him the greatest compliment in the world. It reinforced for me the importance of tone of voice in communication--with birds and four-footed creatures as well as with people.

Dr. Hyung Bae Park, Seoul, S. Korea

Back to S. Korea. I had the opportunity to spend a half-day with Dr. Hyung Bae Park during my lecture tour in S. Korea. Dr. Park is a physician who is heavily involved in studying brain function. It was most interesting to talk with him about the brain and find out more about his work. Fortunately, he spoke English very well--because my Korean is nonexistent!

Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

While lecturing in British Columbia, I had the best time reconnecting with Don and Inez Calder. At the time they were both close to 100. Talk about 'longevity!' I had known them as a girl growing up in Winnipeg and our paths hadn't crossed for decades. We had the best visit!