Fourier Uncertainty Principle - Hearing

Human Hearing is Amazing! (Fourier Uncertainty Edition) (Audiomyth Level 3)

This is a rather sophisticated topic that is based on a cool research paper from 2013 that examined human hearing. In our cochlea there may be shapes that allow for nonlinear processing of audio. If this is the case, so the hypothesis goes, then linear systems of measurement like Fourier Analysis may not be able to measure audio to the remarkable level that our ears can hear.

The Fourier Uncertainty Principle is actually closely related conceptually to quantum uncertainty conceptually. There are limits to the ability to model time and frequency simultaneously in Fourier Analysis just like there are limits to determining position and momentum in the quantum realm.

But, alas, the research may have overreached. A 2015 paper suggests that the original paper was flawed in its analysis of the topic.

However, the topic isn’t closed. As with all science, these are tentative results and need further research to achieve certainty, therefore we can set this myth to Level 3.

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