Human Ear

The ear consists of three basic parts - the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Each part of the ear serves a specific purpose in the task of detecting and interpreting sound. The outer ear serves to collect and channel sound to the middle ear. The middle ear serves to transform the energy of a sound wave into the internal vibrations of the bone structure of the middle ear and ultimately transform these vibrations into a compression wave in the inner ear. The inner ear serves to transform the energy of a compression wave within the inner ear fluid into nerve impulses that can be transmitted to the brain. The outer ear consists of an earflap and an approximately 2-cm long ear canal. The earflap provides protection for the middle ear in order to prevent damage to the eardrum. The outer ear also channels sound waves that reach the ear through the ear canal to the eardrum of the middle ear. Because of the length of the ear canal, it is capable of amplifying sounds with frequencies of approximately 3000 Hz. As sound travels through the outer ear, the sound is still in the form of a pressure wave, with an alternating pattern of high and low pressure regions. It is not until the sound reaches the eardrum at the interface of the outer and the middle ear that the energy of the mechanical wave becomes converted into vibrations of the inner bone structure of the ear.

When the frequency of the compression wave matches the natural frequency of the nerve cell, that nerve cell will resonate with larger amplitude of vibration. This increased vibration amplitude induces the cell to release an electrical impulse that passes along the auditory nerve towards the brain. In a process that is not clearly understood, the brain is capable of interpreting the qualities of the sound upon reception of these electric nerve impulses.

Consciousness and Unconsciousness

Scientists are still trying to learn what consciousness is. Its puzzle is still incomplete. It’s still unknown how consciousness rises in the brain. Doctors and many other qualified people who how to knock a person out quickly. “Yet, for nearly two centuries our ignorance has not hampered the use of general anethesia for routinely extinguishing consciousness during surgery.” Researchers have used anesthesia, recently in combination with brain scans, as a tool to see what happens in the brain when people fade in and out of consciousness — which parts turn on and which turn off. For example, in a study published in the April 4 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, investigators showed that a person could respond to a command to open his eyes when higher parts of the brain were not yet turned on. This finding may be useful in deciding how to measure the effects of anesthetics, and adds another data point to the knowledge of what’s going on in the brain. In previous studies, the researchers, led by Harry Scheinin and Jaakko W. Langsjo of the University of Turku, in Finland, and Dr. Alkire found that the brainstem and other primitive parts of the brain, like the thalamus, wake up first. The neocortex, the part where all the complicated thinking goes on, wakes up later. Consciousness is not a simple state that is either on or off. 

There are distinctions that are not immediately obvious, such as the difference between being unresponsive and being unconscious. “Patients under general anesthesia can sometimes carry on a conversation using hand signals, but postoperatively, they deny ever being awake. Thus, retrospective oblivion is no proof of unconsciousness”, says Dr. Alkire. The standard measure of unconsciousness is that a subject or patient does not respond to commands. By that standard, when a subject responds, he’s conscious.

We all know or atleast have seen the movie titanic. Titanic hit an iceberg and killed 1500 people in North Atlantic. Researchers and scientists have spent years looking for the cause of that terrible accident since the ship was strong and well built. The blame has been put on sailors and flawed rivets but, after a century since the accident, argue that rare states of nature played a major role in the catastrophe. The first study says that Earth’s nearness to the moon and the sun resulted in record tides that help to explain why titanic experienced so much ice and the ugly iceberg. The second study from a titanic historian from Britain shows that the icy waters created ideal conditions for an unusual type of mirage that hid icebergs from lookouts and confused nearby ships, thus delaying rescue efforts for hours. “There were no heroes, no villains” says Mr. Maltin, Instead, there were a lot of human beings trying to do what they could in the situation as soon as they saw it. Scholars of the Titanic are uprising the news theories as more possible causes of the tragedy. They will help explain the mystery.

Studies show that the earth came close to the sun and moon in that winter, which enhanced their gravitational pull on the ocean producing tides. They also continue to suggest that high tides refloated masses of icebergs traditionally stuck along the coastlines of Labrador and Newfoundland and sent them into the North Atlantic shipping lanes. A mirage occurs when cold air bends light rays downward. The light reflected made it impossible for the Californian to aid the Titanic because it could not clearly see what was coming. The captain of the Califonian claims to have seen another boat not the Titanic through the mirages. There may be a mysterious boat since the captain did not stop because he did not see a huge liner (Titanic).

Since the 21 century, technology has been changing rapidly. There is a new machine that ia able to help you communicate just by reading your brain, it is called the iBrain, asimple-looking contraption.  The iBrain is part of a new generation of portable neural devices and algorithms intended to monitor and diagnose conditions like sleep apnea, depression and autism. It’s on the rise and gaining attention as a possible alternative to expensive sleep labs that use rubber and plastic caps riddled with dozens of electrodes and usually require a patient to stay overnight. Dr. Low, the inventor says,“the iBrain can collect data in real time in a person’s own bed, or when they’re watching TV, or doing just about anything.” The device also uses a single channel to pick up waves of electrical brain signals, which change with different activities and thoughts, or with the pathologies that accompany brain disorders.

This is interesting because it allows people with severe disabilities to communicate better. The researchers tested the machine on Dr. Hawking’s and the results were Dr. Hawking’s ability to communicate diminishes as his disease progresses. Scientists not connected with Dr. Low say they are encouraged by the iBrain’s potential. “Philip Low’s device is one of the best single-channel brain monitors out there,” said Ruth O’Hara, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University Medical School. She plans to use the iBrain for autism studies. NeuroVigil has not said what the device will cost. Patients want to be able to communicate beyond the yes or no with an eye blink. They want to send an e-mail, and turn off the light and, even more; to have a meaningful conversation and the Ibrain will help them achieve that goal. Monitors like the device mentioned above are also being used to assess whether experimental neurological drugs are working in clinical trials.