Hearing is unique among senses in being partially restorable by a device

Evidence

Hearing is an exceptional case in one respect: it can, of course, be lost by degeneration or damage, but it can also be partially restored in most cases of profound loss by a high-tech device—the cochlear implant, a true bionic ear. Sadly, no such remedies are available for our other senses. It is remarkable that a sensory system that is one of the most intricate and delicate in the body has what is ultimately a fairly lowtech solution that partly restores function. Around 1790, Alessandro Volta (the inventor of the battery) placed metal rods in his ears and connected them to a 50 V circuit. For his efforts, he got a jolt and heard crackling and gurgling noises—the first electrically induced hearing. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1964

Categorization

• CANDY: Alessandro Volta electrocuting his own ears to get the first electrically induced hearing is a great one-liner for a dinner party.
• XREF: Connects to the reader’s earlier noise/silence project — the lone sense offering a technological workaround. — connects to: Unlike sight, hearing cannot be voluntarily shut off. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1438