你的耳朵會被欺騙嗎？（聲音錯覺）：英語精讀講義

You may recognize this song being played as All Star by Smash Mouth,

你也許聽得出來，現在播放的是 Smash Mouth 的歌曲〈All Star〉，

and if you do, 文法

如果你聽出來了，

something amazing is about to happen. 文法

接下來就會發生一件神奇的事。

Even though only piano notes are being played, 文法

儘管現在播放的只有鋼琴音符，

if you know this song,

但如果你熟悉這首歌，

you'll start to hear the lead singer's voice

你會開始聽見主唱的聲音，

and the words being sung.

以及唱出來的歌詞。

I swear. 語氣意圖

我發誓。

What you're hearing is 100% digital piano 文法

你聽到的百分之百都是數位鋼琴聲，

simply matched to the frequency of the original song

只是把音符調成與原曲相符的頻率，

and not mixed with real vocals. 用詞

並沒有混入真人歌聲。

And yet, you can hear the words. 表達脈絡

可是你還是能聽出歌詞。

This speaking piano shows a similar phenomenon.

這架「會說話的鋼琴」也呈現了類似的現象。

It's hard to make out what it's saying, 片語動詞

很難聽清楚它在說什麼，

but as soon as words are on screen, 文法

但只要螢幕上出現文字，

you begin to hear it talking. 文法

你就會開始聽見它說話。

Hearing is all about perception. 片語搭配

聽覺的關鍵全在於知覺。

After a sound wave hits your ear,

聲波進入你的耳朵後，

it's transformed into signals for your brain. 片語搭配

會被轉化成訊號傳給大腦。

But your brain gets so many external signals 文法

但你的大腦會接收到太多外部訊號，

that it can't process it all at once, 片語搭配

無法一次全部處理，

and so it uses context to craft what you're hearing.

所以它會根據情境，建構出你聽到的內容。

You hear the lyrics because the brain uses information

你之所以能聽出歌詞，是因為大腦會運用

it already has to understand the world around you,

已經掌握的資訊來理解周遭世界，

which is why if you've never heard the song, 表達脈絡

所以，如果你從來沒聽過這首歌，

it will sound like nonsense. 片語搭配

它聽起來就會像一堆毫無意義的聲音。

But even without words,

但即使根本沒有任何話語，

we sometimes hear things that aren't there.

我們有時還是會聽見不存在的聲音。

Take this jumping transmission tower, for example. 表達脈絡

以這座不斷跳動的輸電塔為例。

Around 20% of people will actually hear a thud

大約有 20% 的人真的會聽見「咚」的一聲，

each time it lands

每次都是在它落地時。

in a phenomenon known as visually evoked auditory response. 文法

這種現象稱為「視覺誘發聽覺反應」。

Do you hear it?

你聽到了嗎？

It's a type of synesthesia, 用詞

這是一種聯覺，

which is when the senses like hearing and sight 文法

也就是聽覺、視覺等感官

get crossed in the brain. 用詞

在大腦裡互相交錯。

Expectation is also playing a role here. 片語搭配

預期心理在這裡也發揮了作用。

A 2006 study scanned the brains of participants

2006 年的一項研究掃描了受試者的大腦，

who were told they would eventually hear a sound. 文法

這些受試者事先被告知，之後會聽到一個聲音。

As they were listening to the silence

當他們聽著一片寂靜，

and expecting to hear something,

並期待聽見某種聲音時，

the auditory cortex was activated in the same way 文法

他們的聽覺皮質會以同樣的方式被活化，

as when you're actually listening to sound.

就像真的在聽聲音時一樣。

So, do you hear it now?

那麼，你現在聽到了嗎？

Our brains are pretty good at filling in the gaps, 慣用語

我們的大腦很擅長補上缺漏的資訊，

like in this audio clip.

這段音訊就是個例子。

The state governors met with their respective legislatures

各州州長會見了各自州議會的議員，

convening in the capital city.

這些議員當時正在首府開會。

But now listen to it with the cough removed. 文法

但現在請聽聽移除咳嗽聲的版本。

The state governors met with their respective legislatures

各州州長會見了各自州議會的議員，

convening in the capital city.

這些議員當時正在首府開會。

There's literally a full syllable missing,

其中真的少了整整一個音節，

but with the cough

但加上咳嗽聲後，

people tend to hear the entire word. 文法

人們往往會聽到完整的單字。

The state governors met with their respective legislatures

各州州長會見了各自州議會的議員，

convening in the capital city.

這些議員當時正在首府開會。

This illusion is known as temporal induction. 用詞

這種錯覺稱為「時間誘導」。

Your brain fills in information to make sense of the world. 片語搭配

你的大腦會補上資訊，讓你能理解這個世界。

Now, listen to this rhythm.

現在，聽聽這段節奏。

Sounds like it's getting faster, doesn't it? 語氣意圖

聽起來是不是愈來愈快了？

The thing is, 表達脈絡

但重點是，

it will seemingly get faster forever

它似乎會永遠愈來愈快，

if I let it continue to play. 文法

只要我讓它繼續播放。

This is known as the Risset rhythm,

這稱為「里塞節奏」（Risset rhythm），

in which a beat starts relatively slow

在這種節奏中，一個節拍開始時相對較慢，

and starts to speed up, 片語動詞

接著開始加速，

but as it gets faster,

但隨著它愈來愈快，

beat two starts at exactly half the speed,

第二個節拍會以正好一半的速度加入，

and they increase in speed together.

然後兩者一起加速。

Eventually, the faster one fades out 片語動詞

最後，較快的節拍會逐漸淡出，

as the slower one fades in,

同時較慢的節拍逐漸淡入，

and the loop continues.

接著不斷循環。

But your brain can't pick up the subtlety, 片語動詞

但你的大腦捕捉不到這種細微變化，

and as a result, 表達脈絡

因此，

it sounds like it's speeding up forever.

聽起來它就像會永遠加速。

Love learning about amazing and interesting things in the world? 語氣意圖

喜歡認識世界上神奇又有趣的事物嗎？

We actually just started a brand new podcast called Sidenote,

我們其實才剛推出一個名為 Sidenote 的全新 Podcast 節目，

where we explore the things that are stumping us 用詞

在節目中，我們會探索那些讓我們百思不得其解的事，

or making us curious in life,

或生活中勾起我們好奇心的事，

and then insert all the mind-blowing science behind it. 用詞

再加入它們背後所有令人驚嘆的科學知識。

We'd love for you to check it out 講解

我們很希望你能去聽聽看，

on iTunes or whichever podcast app you use. 文法

可以在 iTunes 或你常用的任何 Podcast App 上收聽。

Your support means a ton to us 慣用語

你們的支持對我們意義重大，

as we slowly journey into exploring more science

因為我們正一步步踏上探索更多科學的旅程，

in a new medium. 用詞

並嘗試用一種新的媒介來呈現。

Again, it's called Sidenote,

再說一次，它叫做 Sidenote，

and it's brand new,

而且才剛推出，

so we're excited to know what you think.

所以我們很期待聽聽你的想法。

We'll leave some links below.

我們會在下方附上一些連結。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos

也別忘了訂閱，每週收看更多科學影片，

every Thursday.

每週四更新。