Scientists: A person can determine the distance to the ear

American researchers in the experiment found that people can unconsciously calculate the distance to the visible or hidden away objects based only on the sound intervals. Moreover, the human brain more confidence intervals audio than visual images.

Because the speed of light is the speed of sound, one can see certain events before they hear. For example, by measuring the elapsed time between a flash of lightning and thunder, you can roughly determine the distance at which the storm. However, scientists from the University of Rochester in New York during the experiment found that people can unconsciously calculate distance, relying only on the sound intervals. The study is published in the scientific journal PLoS One.

"Despite the fact that people are primarily visual creatures, our research shows that the assessment of the relative distance to objects is more accurate when the visual data is backed up beeps. Our brains detect acoustic signals, even if they are separated from the visual is too short to consciously notice it, the time "- said study author Dugi Tadini.

Dugi Tadini and his colleagues were able to find out what people unconsciously notice sound intervals that do not exceed 40 milliseconds. Subtle consciously pause between the signals used to determine the distance. In the first experiment, volunteers were asked to move the stereoscopic glasses two geometric shapes, until they are at the same distance from the observer. Simultaneously with the appearance of each figure (or immediately after the onset) heard a click. It turns out that when you click retarded figure was perceived as more distant - even if it was actually closer.

In the second experiment, the figure moved quickly toward the back and the participants. When at the same time people heard the sound delayed by only 42 milliseconds, the object was seen as far (even if its proximity to the observer). Furthermore, if removal of the figure coincides with the delay of sound (the natural situation), people can more accurately determine the relative distance to the object. "It is striking that the participants could not consciously identify that there were sound delay, but nevertheless it had a great impact on the perception of distance," - said one of the researchers, Philip Dzhekl.