Abstract
IN the absence of a reply to Dr. Hartridge (NATURE, April 14, p. 204) from a more authoritative quarter, I venture to suggest that his expression “a continuous musical note” is not appropriate to the phenomenon discussed. By changing the time-interval between successive siren-puffs from r to 3/2r, the experimenter interrupts the periodicity of the vibrations producing the fundamental tone of his note, and the consequent discontinuity in the note is perceived by his ear as something indistinguishable from a beat (which, physically, it is not). According to the “dead beat” view, this effect in the sensorium is due to the last vibration of the interrupted series, because there is no resonator in the cochlea which by continuing to vibrate would make the temporary interruption imperceptible. If the interruption-effect were lacking when the resumed vibrations are not of precisely opposite phase, there would be something in Dr. Hartridge's argument.
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PERRETT, W. The Resonance Theory of Hearing. Nature 107, 301 (1921). https://doi.org/10.1038/107301c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/107301c0
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