Ears

Scientists have long debated how we perceive the absence of sound waves hitting our ears.

We Can Hear Silence Like a Sound, Scientists Say

In a study, participants were tricked by "silence illusions" in the same way that illusions with sound fool the brain

The first traffic court case to use a "robot lawyer" is set for February 22.

The First 'A.I. Lawyer' Will Help Defendants Fight Speeding Tickets

Two people equipped with Bluetooth earpieces will repeat to a judge what the robot tells them

New research suggests earbuds may be an affordable, low-stigma alternative to hearing aids for some people.

Are AirPods the Hearing Aids of the Future?

New research suggests that personal sound amplification products like earbuds may help some people hear better in certain scenarios

By mid-October, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss will be able to buy hearing aids over the counter.

FDA Approves Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

A new rule could save consumers $2,800 on a pair of hearing aids, officials say

Previously other companies have used 3D printing technology to produce custom prosthetic limbs from lightweight plastics and materials. Still, the ear implant is the first known example of a 3D implant made from living tissue.

Surgeons Transplant 3-D-Printed Ear Made From Patient’s Own Cells

The 3-D printed implant is the first made from living tissue

MIT researchers wove a fiber designed from a piezoelectric material with traditional yarn to create a machine-washable fabric. 

Researchers Create a Fabric That Can 'Hear' Your Heartbeat

This fabric acts as both a speaker and microphone, detecting even faint noises and converting them into electrical signals

Big brown bats Eptesicus fuscus (pictured) are a Yangochiroptera species that uses complex sounds to echolocate. 

A Tiny, Partially Missing Bone Structure in Bat Ears May Have Cleared the Way for Echolocation to Evolve

Nearly 90 percent of the nighttime hunters use sound to find prey

In trials, the app detected the presence of ear fluid with 85 percent accuracy

Researchers Develop App That Plays Chirping Sounds to Check for Ear Infections

Although EarHealth isn’t currently available for purchase, the team hopes to receive F.D.A. approval by the end of 2019

Each year, nearly 700,000 ear-infection-prone kids in the U.S. are treated with surgically-implanted ear tubes.

Ear Tubes May Finally Get an Upgrade

Harvard researchers have invented a new device that might mean fewer visits to the surgeon for kids with chronic ear infections

We Know How Stressed Whales Are Because Scientists Looked At Their Earwax

A new study looks at stress hormone levels in whale ear wax, showing how hunting and climate change have impacted he giant beasts

Military Invests in 'Molar Mic' That Can Route Calls Through Your Teeth

Too lazy to pick up the phone? Open wide... this new device latches onto your chompers to transmit sound via the cranial bones

Video games can help train the brain to hear better.

Can a Video Game Train You To Hear Better In a Crowded Room?

A new study finds it's possible to teach the brain to better distinguish between speech and background noise

Why Holding in a Sneeze Can Be Dangerous

A 34-year-old man squeezed while holding nose closed, leading to a tear in his throat and a stay in the hospital

Ear prosthesis

Doctors Are 3D Printing Ear Bones To Help With Hearing Loss

By printing custom bone prostheses, researchers hope they can better fix a certain kind of hearing loss

Barn Owls Do Not Suffer From Age-Related Hearing Loss, Study Shows

Owls ranging in age from two to 23 were able to respond equally well to auditory cues

Earwax: Coming To a Home Air Filtration System Near You?

A clogged ear on a scuba trip led a Georgia Institute of Technology engineer to study the dust-filtering properties of the waxy substance

A technique for implanting a 3D-printed "ear" with stem cells could revolutionize treatment for microtia patients.

Hear This, 2017: Scientists Are Creating New Ears With 3D-Printing and Human Stem Cells

Two decades after the "earmouse," researchers have mastered a powerful technique for growing ears from fat-derived stem cells

Just look at that vampiric cutie.

How Bats Ping On the Wing—And Look Cute Doing It

Researchers reveal how bats turn echolocation signals into a 3-D image of moving prey

Ask Smithsonian: What’s the Point of Earwax?

Earwax has a job to do; but many are not hearing the message

Scientists used an an integrated tissue-organ printer, or ITOP, to create this ear.

Scientists Printed a Human Ear

The scientific breakthrough is more than a creepy experiment—one day, it could save lives

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