The More We Learn
You’ve probably heard it said that the more we learn, the less we know. Ironically, nobody seems to know who said that first, but they had a point. 2020 certainly taught us how much we didn’t know. Audio processing for live streaming was a huge challenge for me. Previously unknown concepts like audio filters, range limiters and noise gates needed to be understood and applied to ever changing situations. I remember the frustration of realising how little I knew and the admiration I had for those who seemed to understand it all.
Now, a few years later, I’ve discovered a new found gratitude for that experience. A friend sent me a video on how sound is processed by our ears. The experience of my limitations in understanding and processing sound, greatly compounds my appreciation for our ears.
The video showed how sound is deflected towards the ear drum which vibrates at even the slightest disturbance. These vibrations move a lever made up of three bones in an inclosed air-filled chamber. The bone lever amplifies vibrations from larger, weaker movements to smaller, stronger ones. Special muscles and ligaments restrain movement and dampen sounds that are too loud while amplifying the signal to an optimum level. The bones transfer this signal from the air chamber to a fluid-filled cochlea, and since fluid doesn’t conduct sound as well as air, this amplification is critical.
The fluid medium in the cochlea is essential in converting the signal from physical vibrations to an electrical signal. As sound waves move through the fluid of the cochlea they trigger special nerves that fire off electrical impulses along nerves to the brain. Different nerves isolate different frequencies so that the sound is split into complex component parts that can be interpreted separately or together by the brain.
Though the video I recognised the different components and how they have been emulated by the audio equipment we use to live-stream our Church services. The sound desks, laptop computers and sophisticated audio processing software are amazing. The ingenuity of the people who designed and developed them (as well as those who understand how to use them) is even more impressive. It’s all wonderful – but nothing compared to our ears. Our ears consistently provide a clearer, higher quality signal than all that equipment, throughout load-shedding, powered by whatever we ate for breakfast, and all while they self-adjust to different circumstances, self-clean and self-repair.
Realising how little I know compared to the God who designed me leaves me feeling small, but valuable. Knowing that the same person who designed me, chose to become human in the person of Jesus and give His life for me makes me feel even more valuable, even if I don’t understand it completely. The more I learn, the less I know, and the more I’m in awe of the God who knows all. Blessed Easter to you and your families.
