The Limits of Habituation

In Chapter 2, we introduce a concept that is almost as old as the animal kingdom itself: habituation. In this article "Why Everything Is Getting Louder" from The Atlantic, Bianca Bosker reports on research that suggests that there are limits to our ability to habituate to recurring sounds. According to audio-processing engineer Stéphanie Pigeon, when it comes to irritating noises, "the idea that we’ll just “get used to it,” is a myth....Once you are bothered by a sound, you unconsciously train your brain to hear that sound....That phenomenon just feeds itself into a diabolic loop.” You can read the full article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/11/the-end-of-silence/598366/

If you've ever tried to fall asleep at night to a quiet, but irritating droning sound, you'll know what they mean! An excellent article on how modern noise is undercutting human wellness.