What is the sound that just makes you shrivel up and die inside? Did it make the 10 most hated list?
There are some hatreds so universal that they’ve passed into proverb. “Like nails on a chalkboard” is a phrase commonly used to describe things that we just can’t stand, whether they be sound or no. Just looking at that illustration of that hand scratching the board is making my teeth hurt. I find it almost funny that “chalk on a chalkboard” is also on this list, a sound that many of us are constantly subjected to in school. At least, those of us who aren’t grating under the squeak of an overhead projector being cleaned, or the smell of dry erase markers.
But it’s not all bad news! I’m really glad to see that thunder made it into the top four sounds that humans love. The thick, rich crash of thunder makes my heart leap. It’s a little bit pure adrenaline, a little bit pure joy.
There’s another kind of sound that humans love: music. If you’re a music lover, chances are you’ve got a cherished pair of headphones. Ever wonder how those things came to be? Well we’ve got an infographic for you on the evolution of headphones.