Ever wondered why you hate that Rebecca Black song so much?
For many of us, the most annoying sound in the world can be our most hated songs, ones that give us an immediate headache and put us in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
Well now researchers at Newcastle University in the UK have applied science to it, revealing the top 10 annoying sounds and the reasons behind them, as CBS reports.
The study looked at the brain activities of 13 volunteers and their response to a range of 74 different sounds, which were then rated and published in the Journal Of Neuroscience.
Also included on the list was the sound of a female screaming, squealing brakes on a bicycle, and an electric drill.Topping the list was not the chorus of Rebecca Black’s Friday, but the uniquely excruciating sound of a knife on a bottle
If for some reason you want to hear the most annoying sound in the world, you can here – but be warned, it lives up to expectations.
Researchers found that these sounds trigger a highly emotional response in the part of the brain that regulates emotions (the amygdala for those playing along at home), which appears to take over the hearing part of the brain when people are exposed to an extremely aggravating sound.
Newcastle University Research Sukhbinder Kumar stated that “it appears there is something very primitive kicking in”, with the heightened emotional response altering people’s perceptions of the sounds.these sounds trigger a highly emotional response in the part of the brain that regulates emotions
So there is some definite science behind people’s hatred of Nickelback.
The study may justify The Black Keys own distaste for the much-maligned band, labelling them “watered-down, post-grunge crap” and “horrendous shit”.
While Nick Cave would probably list the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the top of his list, after saying “I’m forever near a stereo saying, ‘What the fuck is this garbage?’ and the answer is always the Red Hot Chili Peppers.”
The study also revealed the most pleasant sounds to our ears, with applause coming up as our favourite noise. Also featured were babies’ laughter, thunder and the sound of water flowing. Shockingly, the noises produced by the likes of Ke$ha and Skrillex didn’t even make the top ten.
The study wasn’t just a novelty to discover our most hated noises, with researcher Tim Griffiths stating that it could also assist with hearing disorders.
“This might be a new inroad into emotional disorders and disorders like tinnitus and migraine in which there seems to be heightened perception of the unpleasant aspects of sounds”, the Newcastle University scientist said.
Now it’s just a matter of time until we get the inevitable mash-up of the most annoying sounds in the world, stay tuned.
