Science of Listening exhibit opens at Thanksgiving Point

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The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point opened its new Science of Listening exhibit.

The exhibit is on loan from the Exploratorium in San Francisco and features more than 30 interactive activities that help guests understand how the brain perceives sound. These activities include:

  • Pinnae Play: Guests try on the outer ears, or pinnae, of other animals to experience different ways of filtering sound.
  • Eavesdropping: Guests sit in a salon chair under a hairdryer and eavesdrop into several conversations. See which ones grab their attention.
  • Acoustic Navigation: With a blind guide, guests find the way through an underground train to sharpen their listening skills.
  • Soundscapes: Guests listen to sound recordings from different environments and try to figure out where they are in the city, swimming pool, ice rink, etc.

Shelly Darrington, a senior from Nevada majoring in communication disorders, expressed interest in going to see the new exhibit.

“I never realized how complicated hearing was until I took (the class) hearing science and acoustics,” she said. “I think it’s interesting to look at hearing beyond the physical and scientific view point. I like looking at how we use it and integrate it into our lives.”

The exhibit will be open until June 2013. Visit the Thanksgiving Point website for the museum’s hours and ticket prices.

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