NPR: ears https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=138511979 ears en Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only Story API Shim 1.2.24 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:36:14 -0400 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 NPR: ears https://www.npr.org/tags/138511979/ears Your ears can't prick up, but your ear muscles sure try Humans actually have vestigial muscles that activate when listening closely to something, even though people lost the ability to really move their ears about 25 million years ago. Sun, 02 Feb 2025 09:35:59 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2025/02/02/nx-s1-5281984/your-ears-cant-prick-up-but-your-ear-muscles-sure-try https://www.npr.org/2025/02/02/nx-s1-5281984/your-ears-cant-prick-up-but-your-ear-muscles-sure-try

Humans actually have vestigial muscles that activate when listening closely to something, even though people lost the ability to really move their ears about 25 million years ago.

(Image credit: ChristopherBernard/Getty Images)

]]> Nell Greenfieldboyce Turn It Down: Tinnitus Story Hurts Listeners' Ears <em></em>A high-pitched sound on <em>Morning Edition</em> imitated the hearing condition tinnitus, but offended listeners' ears. Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:30:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/publiceditor/2011/07/19/138511490/turn-it-down-tinnitus-story-hurts-listeners-ears https://www.npr.org/sections/publiceditor/2011/07/19/138511490/turn-it-down-tinnitus-story-hurts-listeners-ears A high-pitched sound on Morning Edition imitated the hearing condition tinnitus, but offended listeners' ears.

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