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Glossary

Biophony

Defined in topic 26

Bernie Krause's term for the collective voice of a habitat's organisms, set beside geophony, the sound of wind and water, and anthropophony, the sound people make.

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Where this comes from

In the reference topic that owns this term

Reference topic 26, The Ear in the Silent Room, states the mismatch as a card: what the system evolved to expect, what it gets instead, and what happens in the gap.

Mismatch card

What it expects

Intermittent loud events against a quiet, information-rich natural background, plus music made in groups.

What it gets

Continuous mechanical noise, including at night, and music delivered privately through earbuds.

What happens in the gap

Low-grade stress activation with cardiovascular consequences, avoidable hearing loss on a population scale, and a social technology reduced to a solitary one.

The full card, and the topic behind it

What that chapter recommends

3 of the 6 graded recommendations in Reference topic 26, strongest evidence first. How the grades work.

  1. Learn the exchange rate

    StrongEvidence grade: Strong. Multiple randomized controlled trials, or consistent large cohort studies with a well-understood mechanism.

    Eight hours at 85 dBA, four at 88, one at 94, about 15 minutes at 100. If you have to raise your voice to be heard at arm's length, treat the time as short and leave before the ladder runs out.

    Read it in full

  2. Get your hearing tested, and use aids if indicated

    ProbableEvidence grade: Probable. Good observational evidence with a plausible mechanism, or small or few trials.

    Hearing loss is common and undertreated. Aids are reasonable, low-risk preventive practice, but the cognitive benefit in ACHIEVE was confined to a higher-risk subgroup.

    Read it in full

  3. Move the sound machine away from the crib

    ProbableEvidence grade: Probable. Good observational evidence with a plausible mechanism, or small or few trials.

    If you use one, put it as far from the infant's head as the room allows, at the lowest volume and for the shortest time that works.

    Read it in full

The argument behind this term, its studies and its notes are in Reference topic 26 of the reference library. The book gives the practical version. Get the book.