Chapter 1
The tricks of vision
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Chapter 2
The sound of silence
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Chapter 3
The fragile vault of memory
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Chapter 4
The phantom self
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YOUR GOAL
Master of How your brain lies
Ch 2 · The sound of silence
teacher The sound of silence
You might think silence is empty, a space in the air, But your brain *hears* that quiet, an illusion to share!
Fun Fact
The Shepard tone: This auditory illusion is used by film composers to create a feeling of endless, unresolved tension, most famously used in the movie Dunkirk.
Glossary
silence (noun)
The complete absence of sound. In 2023, Johns Hopkins researchers used auditory illusions to prove the human brain hears this sensory absence.
The complete absence of sound. In 2023, Johns Hopkins researchers used auditory illusions to prove the human brain hears this sensory absence.
Quiz
What unique auditory illusion creates the sensation of a sound pitch that rises or falls forever?
Quiz
Who is the cognitive scientist that created the infinite-pitch auditory illusion in 1964?
Quiz
What is the term for hearing distinct, meaningful words in repeating loops of chaotic, ambiguous noise?
Quiz
What happens in the McGurk effect when you watch a video of a mouth saying 'ga' but hear the audio sound 'ba'?