吉姆 · 赫兹佩斯: 听觉背后美丽而神秘的科学

听觉背后美丽而神秘的科学

你是否思考过自己的耳朵是如何工作的？在这次赏心悦目、引人入胜的演讲中，生物物理学家吉姆·赫兹佩斯（Jim Hudspeth）展示了毛细胞简单而奇妙，却又强大到惊人的工作原理，正是这些微观动力站让听觉成为可能——另外，他还解释了在非常安静的时候，你的耳朵会怎样开始发出专属于你的一套声音。

Hearing relies on tiny hair cells in the ear that can detect air pressure changes smaller than a billionth of atmospheric pressure. These hair cells not only convert vibrations into electrical signals for the brain but also actively amplify and fine-tune sounds, letting people distinguish subtle differences in pitch and tolerate an immense range of volumes. Remarkably, in silence, most ears actually emit their own unique tones. Understanding and potentially restoring these cells could transform treatments for hearing loss.