You, Too, Can Learn Echolocation

The Narrative Fallacy writes "Wired reports that with just a few weeks of training, you can learn to 'see' objects in the dark using echolocation the same way dolphins and bats do. Acoustic expert Juan Antonio Martinez at the University of Alcalá de Henares in Spain has developed a system to teach people how to use echolocation, a skill that could be particularly useful for the blind and for people who work under dark or smoky conditions, like firefighters — or cat burglars. 'Two hours per day for a couple of weeks are enough to distinguish whether you have an object in front of you,' says Martinez. 'Within another couple weeks you can tell the difference between trees and pavement.' To master the art of echolocation, you can begin by making the typical 'sh' sound used to make someone be quiet. Moving a pen in front of the mouth can be noticed right away similar to the phenomenon when traveling in a car with the windows down, which makes it possible to 'hear' gaps in the verge of the road. The next level is to learn how to master 'palate clicks,' special clicks with your tongue and palate that are better than other sounds because they can be made in a uniform way, work at a lower intensity, and don't get drowned out by ambient noise. With the palate click you can learn to recognize slight changes in the way the clicks sound depending on what objects are nearby. 'For all of us in general, this would be a new way of perceiving the world,' says Martinez."

Comments

Re:No duh

[JWSmythe]

    American beer is anything but? I had experienced warm pisswater, cold pisswater, ice brewed pisswater, and as I started exploring the world of beer, I found myself very content with a variety of European beers. There's something to say for a beer that you can eat with a fork, that you don't piss out, but shit out as a nasty tar just as the reminder to you of how good it was. :)

    I did get beyond the taste of American beer to find out that I can drink it like water, and while never getting drunk on it, I do get a weird little headache. I spent 3 days camping with some friends a while back, where the choices were American beer or water from the stream. I drank more than they did, and was left wondering why people drink it and pretend to be drunk.

    Now, I tend to stay with liquor. A shot of something nice and strong, chased by a rum & coke that can only be described as "oh my god, is there any coke in that?". It keeps lightweights from stealing my drinks, so I'm pleased. I, an American, can hold my own in true Irish or German pubs, where they end up asking how long I spent in their country to be able to drink like I do. I have yet to have anyone hand me a drink that I couldn't drink right along with them. I have drank shots of drinks that I was then told "That's a sipping drink, it's way too strong to drink like that", but they always tell me after I ask for my second shot. If it's a sipping drink, why did you put it in a shot glass?

    I should mention, I'm a lazy alcoholic. I don't go seeking drinks, but I won't refuse a drink should others be drinking too. Lately, that means a few drinks every few months. I didn't even drink for New Years or the 4th of July this year. Oh well. Maybe next New Years. :)