There are two types of sounds: Those we can hear and those we cant. The average human hears every sound between the frequencies of 20 hertz (Hz) and 20 kilohertz (kHz). Any sound below this frequency is infrasonic, and any above is ultrasonic. Unfortunate...
sound
Not every sound we hear around us is what we think it is. Some are created specifically to play on our imaginations and beliefs. This often happens, for example, when we consider a specific sound as an indicator of the quality or effectiveness of a produc...
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.Some kitchen appliances are so sought after, they rarely go on sale online. Case in point? The Breville...
These lovable hounds are happy, playful companions. Find out more about why they make perfect pets.1. Their origins are mysterious. The beagle is such an old breed that its ancestors hunted rabbits with the Ancient Romans. Unfortunately, origins are hard ...
The letter C is a modern-day descendent of the Ancient Greek letter gamma, and as such originally represented a “g” sound rather than “k.” The Romans, however, confused everything; they typically used their letter C to represent both “g” and “k” sounds, a...
Just as the letter J is derived from I and the letter U is derived from V, G actually began life around 2300 years ago as a variant of the letter C. Before then, C had been used in Latin to represent both the hard “g” sound and, alongside letter K, the so...
Italian violinist Francesco Geminiani once wrote that a violin's tone should "rival the most perfect human voice." Nearly three centuries later, scientists have confirmed that some of the world's oldest violins do in fact mimic aspects of ...
Even if you’ve never attended a live auction, you’ve probably seen the fast-talking patter of the auctioneer on television or in film. It’s something like:“HeycanIheartwohundredtwohundedgivemetwohundred…three…doIhearthreehundred…four…will you give me four...
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.For any pool party, barbecue, or beach day on the horizon, you’ll want to bring along a portable, light...
One of the earliest ancestors of our humble letter F was a Phoenician letter, waw, which was assimilated into the early Greek alphabet more than 2500 years ago. It’s thought that the Phoenicians used their letter waw to represent an array of different sou...
20 hertz to 20 kilohertz: the range of frequencies humans are able to hear. Sound is a natural constant, as essential and expected as the light we see and the air we breathe. From good music to blaring alarms, our daily lives are full of these vital vibra...
With perhaps three-quarters of a million words in the English language, it's fairly reasonable to suggest that you probably won't get around to learning them all, and that there will be plenty of words hiding away in the dictionary that you’ll nev...
For anyone who spends most of his time on the Internet, the word unbelievable simply doesnt hold much weight anymore. Facts that we once considered hip and cool to show off at parties are common knowledge now, so much so that youd probably be laughed at f...
Oral hygiene is important. Unfortunately, both talking about it and doing it can also be boring. So how can you convince people to brush their teeth more often? For starters, you can make it more rewarding. Two Japanese researchers have found that certain...
History leaves plenty of evidence behind. We can gaze upon the ruins of vanquished civilizations, ponder the bones of the long-dead, and read about all the cool parts which were glossed over in grade school. One thing we cant do so much is hear the sounds...
Oh history, you do keep showing us youre full of weirdness. Is it any wonder that todays landscape of people who get famous for simply existing online, Japanese girlfriend pillows and bacon-flavoured soda came into existence when our past was even more wa...
Imagine a war that lasted 335 years but yielded no human losses and caused no bloodshed. Or people wearing cheap, colorful flour sacks during the Great Depression because the colors meant they were still dressing somewhat fashionably. And what about the k...
You know that feeling when you hear a sound, and it just sends chills right down your spine? Creepy, right? We all know that nature produces all sorts of interesting sights and sounds. From creepy animals to (previously) unexplained sounds that go bump in...
Life as a scientist, economist, computer expert, or structural engineer can be pretty boring. Even if you have a natural drive and passion for your subject, it requires grindingly long hours to master these highly complex jobs. Who could blame them for oc...
The sound made by the eruption of the volcano Krakatau in 1883 was so loud that it burst the eardrums of people within a radius of 65 kilometers. It was clearly heard at a distance of almost 5,000 kilometers.Read also:Half-Life Of Uranium-235 is 700...
