Subject: Re: brightness From: gia <gia(at)SNAFU.DE> Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 09:36:50 +0800Dull sounds are low-tension and bright sounds are exciting, as neurons responsible to high-frequencies are excited (cortico-collicular or colliculo-cochlear feedback is possible). Moreover, high-frequency could mean that the sound source is not far away, because more distant sounds lose high frequencies (thanks for Chris Darwin's and Jim Beauchamp's comments). It is thus reasonable that as soon as human or animal hear sound containing strong high-frequency components, they will be excited and alarmed. Instead of physical high/low, bright/dull may be related to near/distant. Chen-Gia Tsai gia(at)snafu.de Taiwan