British Broadcasting CorporationHome

Accessibility links

Skip to content
Skip to local navigation
Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation
Skip to bbc.co.uk search
Help
Accessibility Help

BBC News Updated every minute of every day

One-Minute World News

News Front Page

Africa

Americas

Europe

UK

Business

Health

Science & Environment

Also in the news

-----------------

Video and Audio

-----------------

Country Profiles

Special Reports

Related BBC sites

Page last updated at 13:36 GMT, Friday, 19 March 2010

Do you have cocktail party ears?

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Advertisement

It's known as the "cocktail party problem" - why we find it hard to hear and follow a conversation in a noisy environment.

But it turns out that it could be our brains, and not our ears, which are to blame.

Professor David McAlpine of Deafness Research UK braves a noisy bar to explain what his research has shown.

SEE ALSO

'How to spot ear damage'(02.21)
Hearing warning to music fans(03.59)

Story Tools

Bookmark with:

What are these?

E-mail this to a friend

MOST POPULAR VIDEO/AUDIO

Northern Lights captured from space

Chrome for Android and other tech news

Rare cloud formation in Yorkshire

Danger of stalling a train in Peru

Crew rescued from ice-bound ships

Editor's Choice

Improvements to the BBC News Website

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

bbc.co.uk navigation

Site links

BBC links

© 2012

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.