What is Digg?43 Comments
- gwjc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23Damn; Good read, but they still haven't answered the bloody question; I think because the noise is akin to the language of yogsoggoth, cthulhu, nagoob, etc. and the sound triggers an atavistic response based on our genetic memory of the ancient ones.
- john2kx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17for me, it's less because of the sound of it, and more because of the imagined feel of it. I hate the feeling of scratching something like a chalkboard with my nails, so imagining or hearing someone else do it gives me a nasty feeling.
- freebirdpat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Thats another thing I noticed, I don't as much hear the sound, but you can "feel" the sound, it seems my brain at least turns the sound into a sensation that can be felt on my skin.
- freebirdpat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I remember watching some show on the discovery channel and it was hypothesized that nails on the chalkboard are similar to some primate communication calls which is some sort of warning call or whatever.
Although it could have been for some other reason maybe one of the animals in the past that preyed on humans(giant flying bird/thunderbird) used a sound like that maybe? - biffsputnik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Agreed, with the 'feel' of it. If I heard the sound recorded, but was led to believe it was being made with a synthesizer, I don't think it would bother me at all. It's the vibration, the feel of it or imagined feel of it that makes me uneasy. The same for the sound you sometimes get when you slide a straw through a plastic drink lid.. ::shudder::
- tylerni7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Either
a. long ago our ancestors were attacked or something by something that made a similar sound, and it was hard wired into our brains
b. God decided we should all be afraid of schreeching noises
or c. it is the voice of his noodleness, and you are not worthy to hear it
There now does everyone feel included? - theLEGENDisBACK, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7What a job... Sit people in a room and annoy the ***** out of them with irritating noises.... Nice find though
- hobophobe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6What, no mp3? Come on, someone digg one up so we can all scream.
- Trogdor420, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5 My biology prof once suggested that this could be some hardwired response to the sound that an avian predator (or reptilian?) might have made at some point in our distant past. I don't think that this notion is too far fetched.
- esojz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It's interesting how some of the sounds mentioned cause certain people discomfort and not others. If our responses to those sorts of sounds are attributed to genetic memory, an experiment that involves finding out if certain races respond the same way to the same sounds might be revealing. For instance, maybe my ancestors were terrified of the ravenous chalk board beast and the sound affects me but YOUR ancestor may have been concerned about the terrifying squeaky marker monster and those sounds affect you. Although I have strong suspicion that it was the metal-scraping-against-wet-sand critter that was the problem in my genetic past. :)
- spectre_25gt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4What about a knife and fork rubbing on a plate?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Nothing sounds more chills down my spine than the sound of a clicking or grating hard drive.
- rivvercoon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@spectre
I shuddered when I read your comment... - tehgp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3does anybody else cringe to the sound markers make? lol
good read tho - nunofgs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Actually, nails on a blackboard do nothing to me... for me it's a broom sweeping across cement, wood or any unpolished, smooth surface... *blergh*
- zyang, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6your prof's hypothesis is flawed. it is true that avian predators have long nails, but where do they find the chalk boards?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Samuel L. Jackson stars in . . .
NAILS ON A MUTHA *****' CHALKBOARD! - Silencer7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Maybe these reactions are designed to make us protect our nails and teeth.
- mikeon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I get the same feeling when thinking about rubbing two pieces of metal together like a fork scraping across another metal object.
I think it is hardwired into our brains. Wasn't there some story on digg which talked about how birds would use their talons to pierce into the skulls of early child primates that would kill the child then the birds would feat upon it. - strangeguitar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2For me, it's always been the dry edge of cardboard pulling across the flat surface of cardboard. Like when you're folding a box shut or whatever. G-g-g-g-g-g-grapsh. Gives me the chills thinking about it.
- penneyisok, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That noise never seemed to bug me, which makes it a lot more fun to do it with people around lol. On the odd occasion tho sound of ripping paper or Velcro bugs be, but that happens very rarely and I never understood why it does those odd times. Oh well..
- Scottamus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why Are Nails On A Blackboard Irritating? We have no ***** clue but please read this article which builds up to nothing.
- pervy_the_clown, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2YES!!!!!!! i thought i was the only one!!!!
- habibcs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why?
(That is a question) - republicoftexas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1for anyone who wants to relive the experience
http://www.sounddogs.com/results.asp?Type=&CategoryID=1036&SubcategoryID=11 - meathead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The sound never bugged me. The only thing that I can think of that gives me chills is chewing on a wad of tin foil. Yup. I've done it. I don't recommend it.
- spectre_25gt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree here. It's the same thing when someone tells you they accidentally bent their fingernail back for me. I instantly put myself in the same situation.
- bennybertow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That would make an interesting ring tone for my cell phone... Won't make much friends though with my colleagues leaving the cell in a locked drawer and going to lunch, awaiting an urgent call...
- KiLLaYoShi06, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I cannot tolerate the sound of someone chewing ice.
expecially biting into a popsicle.
I shiver just thinking about it.
its something i've had to deal with since I was little.
I've been tormented for it too. - KiLLaYoShi06, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I feel so much more enlightened now that i've been touched by his noodily appendage.
PRAISE THE FLYING SPAGETTI MONSTER! - L0t3k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@spectre
Hate you.... hate you.
j/k :) - sithvicious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1or those cheap bic lead pencils, when the lead is too long. God damn happens everytime during class, its the most annoying sound and no one seems to notice.
- L0t3k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Or maybe we just really don't like the idea of vibrating and pulling on one of the more sensitive parts of our body. If there were a sound that was distinguishable as the sound of papercuts on your eyeballs or tongue, that would probably send shivers down your spine too.
The odd part is that the sound never bothered me too much. Maybe because I've tried it and it didn't really hurt. - L0t3k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Running the dry pads of your fingers on denim... back and forth. The thought drives me nuts, even if I don't hear anything.
- L0t3k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well said.
- Trogdor420, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Of course I was talking about the sound being similiar to some sort of prehistoric animal's call, not their talons scraping against rocks or blackboards. Just thought I would clear things up a bit.
- plagosuscaper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If you consider psycho-physics, specifically the theory which entails that sounds are perceived as the objects which make them, the predatory bird idea isn't far fetched at all. Fingernails on a chalkboard and talons on a rock not only make a similar sound, but they are also similar in nature. Perhaps this is why the other screeching noises weren't found to be quite as annoying: they weren't produced by digits scraping against rocks.
Also, yay, the burninator! - mrphilosophizer, on 08/14/2008, -0/+0great methinks! But then they still don't tell you why it's annoying!
www.thephilosophizer.com - gaoshan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Uhm, you are missing the connection here. It isn't about claws scraping on a rock or anything else. It is about the sound, not the action. For example, the nails on chalkboard sound might happen to sound very much like the screech of some predator that fed on pre-humans.
- salmakia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0On this note, I read an extremely interesting article here: http://amasci.com/amateur/screet.html, which basically theorizes that it could be due to the fact that the sound, or feeling, of nails on a blackboard is the same sound of teeth enamel being destroyed. As teeth don't heal after being destroyed, humans would learn to stay away from the sound/feeling at all costs.
IMO, it was the most understandable and plausible explanation I have read so far. - spectre_25gt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Eagle pencils FTW!
- T-DOT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"does anybody else cringe to the sound markers make?"
Yup, disgusting. How about rubbing guitar strings. I can feel those in my teeth somehow. - plagosuscaper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0No, I'm not missing the point. I understand that you're referring to the sounds being similar, but it is currently accepted that the brain percieves the object that makes the sound rather than the acoustic frequencies themselves.
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