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Physiology & Medicine / How do we determine sound direction if it's directly in front or back of us?
« on: 18/01/2010 17:53:22 »
The latest Q&A show explained how the brain interprets the time delay between sound reaching the left and right ears at different times, to deterimine whether the sound is coming from the left or right. But what about sound that eminates directly ahead or from behind? It's easy to sense whether a sound comes from directly ahead or behind, yet such sounds reach both ears at the same time, so how is it possible to instantly know if it's in front or behind you? Is there some other mechanism? Perhaps the brain uses other clues...