Does the brain make any sound while you are thinking?

Asked by elbanditoroso (33593

) 2 months ago

We all learned that the brain is essentially powered by electrical impulses. That’s what lets hearts beat, nerves send messages from body parts to the brain, and so on.

Do those electrical impulses make any sound? Of course, it would be very, very, very faint, but is sound emitted?

I compare this to the buzz you hear when you stand underneath high tension power lines. There’s frequently a low buzzing sound – I have heard it.

So does the brain make any sound while thinking?

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7 Answers

Maybe.

Dutchess_III (47143

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I have background white noise all of the time.

btw, we “think” all of the time, every second, unless you’re very very good at meditation.

smudges (11269

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Interesting question.

JLeslie (65803

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But it’s kind of like comparing it to the sound of a light bulb. Unless there is a malfunction you don’t hear it.

Dutchess_III (47143

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Maybe it’s electrical noise being interpreted as vibrating air noise that your ear would hear.

RocketGuy (15550

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As I understand it, there is no actual electricity flowing in your brain, but a charge change propagating along the nerve cell through ion diffusion along the cell wall. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RNdvrkolW0M
So there would be no electrical noise.
the white noise you do hear when it is silent, or the noise you see when it is dark, is probably just the random firing of those sensory neurons being misinterpreted as sound/visual signals.

ragingloli (52291

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