Dr. M. G. Prasad, a professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering, held a seminar on Wednesday billed “Why Noise Matters” on the third floor of the Morton building. The lecture was pertained to the prevalence of high amounts of noise in today’s urban environments, and the many physiological and and psychological effects it has on us. In Dr. Prasad’s word, “How does noise not matter?”
Prasad argued that excessive levels of background noise, formally defined as “unwanted sound” as of 2011, are cause for discomfort, annoyance, stress, and in some cases hearing loss. He cited various studies that showed more than half of citizens surveyed in New York, Paris, Moscow, and Seoul complain about excessive noise levels where they live, as well as citizens of Australia and India.
Prasad explored the psychological reasons why some noises bothers us more than others. “We are more bothered by a dog barking than a fan because the barking is irregular,” he said. He also clarified the difference between noise and music, saying that noise is irregular while music has frequencies that are harmonious, though a formal definition has been a subject of debate since the inception of music itself.
Prasad specified that generally, and noise louder than 85 decibels will be harmful to our hearing, as well as our psyche. Regarding mental disorders, Prasad said, “it’s not clear if [noise] creates mental disorders, but if there is a pre-existing condition, excess noise will aggravate it.” He also brought to light how noise negatively affects reading comprehension and memorization.
According to studies presented in the seminar, it is estimated that by 2015, the number people who suffer from hearing loss above 25 decibels (that is, any sound below that is inaudible to them) will reach 700 million. On a more hopeful note, Prasad also mentioned that many cities are beginning to regulate noise levels. To close the presentation, Prasad demonstrated some noise-making devices, including a white noise machine, a PC fan, and a potato chip bag. He put a ruler over the PC fan to show how the noise became increasingly intolerable. Indeed, he was right. The sound was annoying.
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