BoingBoing mentioned the “Mosquito” anti-teen-loitering device which drives away teenagers with sound frequencies that only younger people can hear. Curious about the state of my own hearing, I decided to use The Google to find some samples to play.
Behold TeenBuzz.Org, and its collection of “mosquito” ringtones designed to allow students to discreetly hear their cellphone ringing without the teacher catching on. While clever, isn’t that what the “vibrate” setting is for?
Thanks to TeenBuzz’s samples, I know I can reliably hear frequencies at 15KHz, which TeenBuzz tells me can be heard by those under 40 years old. If I concentrate, I can barely make out the 16KHz tone, which is said to be audible in people up to 24 years old.
So, how good is your hearing? Click on TeenBuzz.Org’s samples to find out. And for you super-hearing types, remember to click on the WAV file version for frequencies above 15KHz, as MP3 and OGG compression filters out the higher frequencies mere mortals cannot hear.
I could hear the 17.4 khz wav sample – not the embedded flash though. I can’t hear the 18 khz sample at all.
Wow, Chris! You’re older than me and a former headbanger. That’s impressive!
I could hear 17.4 as well. Looks like I’ve got you on hearing AND blood pressure:-)
They could just play songs of the early 50s. Frank Sinatra and friends. That would drive them away too.