Dan's Blackbox Make-A-Thon Project

How can it be that in a crowded room with multiple coversations reaching our ears at the same time that we can understand some words and others do not come close to a proper interpretation of what was being said? We are probably hearing audio illusions. Diana Deutsch, a Psychology Professor at the University of California, San Diego is well known for her research in hearing and memory. This project is based on information from her website and CDs.

Before explaining the process for the 3 sample files that I am providing here, listen to them for yourself. I strongly suggest that you listen to the samples on a pair of stereo speakers, not on headphones nor on the built-in speakers of a laptop computer. The speakers should be spaced equidistant to the left and right of your head. The volume should not be loud; if anything, a bit on the low side. Listen in a quiet environment, and at a time when you can let your mind work without interference.

Have a piece of paper to write down the words or phrases that you hear from each speaker. If you speak a foreign language, you may hear words from that language as well. Words could come from some conversation or thought or feeling that you have had recently.

Ask your friends to listen to the words. Also ask them to write down what they hear. The variety of words reported will be wild and wide. And the power of suggestion ("Listen for foreign words.") will often influence the results.

Notice that I have not yet revealed the process for the sounds. It is best to do the same if you play this with friends. After revealing the process to the Blackbox class, one student asked if he could see the waveforms spread out in Audition or Logic or Pro Tools. Certainly, I gave him a copy of the CD for his own amusement, including mono samples of three repetitions of the three word sequences.