A new study out of New York University found that our brains “time-stamp the order of incoming sounds, allowing us to correctly process the words that we hear.” Laura Gwilliams, the paper’s lead author explains that “each sound is time-stamped with how much time has gone by since it entered the ear. This allows the listener to know both the order and the identity of the sounds that someone is saying to correctly figure out what words the person is saying.” More technically put, “each speech sound initiates a cascade of neurons firing in different places in the auditory cortex… the information about each individual sound in the phonetic word ‘k-a-t’ gets passed between different neural populations in a predictable way, which serves to time-stamp each sound with its relative order.”
How Our Brains Process Words That We Hear
Join the AGEIST movement!
Sign-up for our weekly magazine.
See medical disclaimer below.
The ideas expressed here are solely the opinions of the author and are not researched or verified by AGEIST LLC, or anyone associated with AGEIST LLC. This material should not be construed as medical advice or recommendation, it is for informational use only. We encourage all readers to discuss with your qualified practitioners the relevance of the application of any of these ideas to your life. The recommendations contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. You should always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before starting any new treatment or stopping any treatment that has been prescribed for you by your physician or other qualified health provider. Please call your doctor or 911 immediately if you think you may have a medical or psychiatric emergency.