Page 264 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals

THE MIRACLE OF MIGRATION IN ANIMALS

is insulated from sound just as it is from light. It does not let any
sound in. Therefore, no matter how noisy is the outside, the inside of
the brain is completely silent. Nevertheless, the sharpest sounds are
perceived in the brain. In your completely silent brain, you listen to
symphonies, and hear all of the noises in a crowded place. However,
were the sound level in your brain measured by a precise device at
that moment, complete silence would be found to be prevailing there.
As is the case with imagery, decades of effort have been spent in
trying to generate and reproduce sound that is faithful to the original.
The results of these efforts are sound recorders, high-fidelity systems,
and systems for sensing sound. Despite all of this technology and the
thousands of engineers and experts who have been working on this
endeavor, no sound has yet been obtained that has the same sharp-
ness and clarity as the sound perceived by the ear. Think of the high-
est-quality hi-fi systems produced by the largest company in the
music industry. Even in these devices, when sound is recorded some
of it is lost; or when you turn on a hi-fi you always hear a hissing

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