Hack My Hearing

Aged 32, science writer Frank Swain is losing his hearing.
Audiologists are concerned there may be a rising tide of 'hidden
hearing loss' among young people. As electronic prices have
fallen, sound systems have become cheaper and more powerful.


At the same time, live music events and personal music players
are more popular than ever, resulting in an increase in
noise-related hearing damage. In this programme, Frank asks what
the future holds for people like him, part of a tech-savvy
generation who want to hack their hearing aids to tune in to
invisible data in the world around them.


Could these designers and hackers create the next supersense?


Producer: Michelle Martin


First broadcast on Monday 6 January, 2014.


Credits:


Sound files of tinnitus kindly provided by Action on Hearing
Loss. Free Helpline: 0808 808 0123


Sonified data produced by Semiconductor, with audio courtesy of
CARISMA, operated by the University of Alberta, funded by the
Canadian Space Agency. Special thanks to Andy Kale.


Colour music created by cyborg artist Neil Harbisson.