| Have you heard all those metaphysical, mystical | | | | on it. Who is right? None of them is completely |
| new age teachings that say deep and confusing | | | | right! They are making conclusions based on |
| things like, "life is just an illusion," or "nothing we | | | | limited information, which means.......yup, no human |
| see is what we think it is"? Well guess what? It's | | | | being can fathom what our world truly is. We only |
| true...kinda! In fact it is scientifically impossible for | | | | have limited information. |
| humans to perceive the world that way it really is. | | | | By the way, the same thing is true for the light |
| What do I mean? | | | | spectrum. We're limited there as well. The world |
| As an audio engineer, I work daily with the reality | | | | doesn't really look like we all think it does. |
| that humans can only hear a relatively small slice | | | | So what should we do with this information? The |
| of the audio spectrum, specifically sounds | | | | answer to that is "there is much we can do." We |
| between the frequencies of 20 and 20,000 cycles | | | | could accept that our models of the world are |
| per second (or "hertz"). Is there "sound beyond | | | | necessarily based on incomplete information, and |
| those frequencies? You bet there is, LOTs of it. | | | | in a sense can never be truly accurate. That leads |
| We just don't know what it sounds like! It's a part | | | | to implications in the world of psycho-therapy, |
| of reality that we will never know, due to our | | | | hypnosis, etc. We can also REALLY understand |
| physically limited ability to sense it. | | | | the parts of light and sound that we CAN see, |
| Take a minute and let that sink in. Now think | | | | and use that knowledge to enhance our |
| about that old metaphor of the blind men and the | | | | experience. Audio engineers do that with |
| elephant. You know the one? Three blind men are | | | | equalization (EQ). Artists, graphic designers and |
| each touching the same elephant at different | | | | video experts do it with light and color |
| parts of its body. The one holding the trunk | | | | manipulation. |
| concludes that an elephant is a long, thick, bendy | | | | At the end of the day, this knowledge may |
| thing with sort-of-nostril-lips on the end of it. The | | | | change your life, or you may just think, "so |
| one touching the side thinks an elephant is an | | | | what?" Either way, I think it is mind-bending to |
| enormous wall of muscle and tough, leathery skin. | | | | think about the fact that our models of the world |
| The one holding the tail thinks an elephant is thin | | | | are, by definition, "wrong." Do with that knowledge |
| length of spine-like bone with some hair and skin | | | | what you will. |