THE intensity of sound transmitted from the ear drum to the inner ear can be attenuated by contraction of the middle ear muscles, the tensor tympani and stapedius. These muscles contract at the onset ...

But the auricular muscles might not be so useless after all. By Laura Baisas Published Jan 31, 2025 12:00 AM EST Deposit Photos Get the Popular Science daily ...

Evolution has left humans with many vestigial traits—remnants of once-useful biological features that serve little or no ...

When people are trying hard to listen to something, the body seems to do its best to "prick up its ears," even though this ability was lost by our evolutionary ancestors millions of years ago. That's ...

In almost every species, ear movement can be a clue that the animal is trying to pay close attention to something. When people are trying hard to listen to something, the body seems to do its best to ...