I think there is a problem with defining noise; strictly speaking, if it
didn't bother you, it wasn't noise (to you). But certainly, children are
able to tolerate noise when they are at least partly responsible for it's
production! And many parents will be familiar with the soporific effect of
some noises -washing machines etc.-on infants.
But, to older people whose frequency-hearing range is approx half (or less)
that of young children, it's that much more difficult to uncover what you
want to hear (information) from what you don't (noise). I personally find
highly reverberant places highly uncomfortable with only a few noise/sound
sources. This seems to be way down on the list of priorities of virtually
all architects/interior designers.
It's something that UKISC could possibly follow up: what defiinitions of
noise, quantifications of noise and so on might be appropriate for a variety
of applications.
I even hate the sound of this computer! - I find it harder to think in front
of it. So here, we have a sound source which actually interferes with
non-audible information processing. I find the same when I'm driving - when
I need to concentrate, I ask people to stop talking to me. And I seem to
observe that people who drive around whilst on the phone seem to be having
similar difficulties with concentration!
regards,
ppl
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Nolan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 15 March 2001 12:03
Subject: Re: Noise and stress in children...
> Thanks Rob for pointing this out.
>
> For interest, the latest New Scientist (17/3/2001, Vol 2282) also covers
the
> story on page 5. The article points to more at The Journal of the
> Acoustical Society of America.
>
> Oddly enough (or not...), as a child noise never bothered me, but as the
> years fly by I find it is becoming more and more irksome. My wife
actually
> likes the sound of traffic at night on the nearby motorway - finding it
very
> soporiphic.
>
> Paul
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2001 1:09 AM
> Subject: Noise and stress in children...
>
>
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1220000/1220154.stm
> >
> > Very interesting indeed.
> > Regards
> > rob
> >
> > ::
> www.angelfire.com/nv/iridex/index.html
> >
>
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