Ideas change everything

The beautiful, mysterious science of how you hear

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Jim Hudspeth |

TED@NAS

• November 2019

Have you ever wondered how your ears work? In this delightful and fascinating talk, biophysicist Jim Hudspeth demonstrates the wonderfully simple yet astonishingly powerful mechanics of hair cells, the microscopic powerhouses that make hearing possible -- and explains how, when it's really quiet, your ears will begin to beam out a spectrum of sounds unique to you.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Have you ever wondered how your ears work? In this delightful and fascinating talk, biophysicist Jim Hudspeth demonstrates the wonderfully simple yet astonishingly powerful mechanics of hair cells, the microscopic powerhouses that make hearing possible -- and explains how, when it's really quiet, your ears will begin to beam out a spectrum of sounds unique to you.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

About the speaker

Biophysicist, neuroscientist

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A. James "Jim" Hudspeth conducts research on hair cells, the sensory receptors of the inner ear.

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Learn more about TED@NAS

In 2019, TED partnered with The National Academy of Sciences, The Kavli Foundation and the Simons Foundation to bring to life an exciting day of original TED Talks from within their shared knowledge networks.

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

Read more about the TED Institute