Bionic Ear

Sensory expert Mathew Holley is taking to the stage to lead the audience through a journey of discovery into what it is to hear, and the intricacies of the ear. Afterwards there’ll be the opportunity to discuss your concerns in small groups, and time for audience-wide questions and answers with experts at the end.

What is sound and what are the structures in the ear that allow us to hear it? What causes damage to hearing and what can we do to avoid this?

These are just some of the questions answered by the play The Bionic Ear Show.

By looking at whether we can fix or replace each part of the hearing system, the show will communicate what scientists in the UK are currently doing to engineer cures, therapies and treatments to target hearing loss and reverse deafness medically.

During the show the presenter will build the world’s biggest ear - a huge outer ear on one side and a giant brain on the other. Mathew will gradually build up the ear, showing why hearing is lost if parts are removed or damaged - and whether scientists can create bionic parts to replace them…

Come take part in this interactive exploration of hearing. Then discuss the issues raised in small groups, each headed by a scientist working in this area.

This event is in association with Deafness Research UK, the Wellcome Trust and the Scottish Executive.

Event organised by:
The Science Museum

Speakers

Jonathan Bird, University College London
Brad Backus, University College London
Dan Jagger, University College London

Facilitator:
Mathew Holley, Professor of Sensory Physiology and Head of Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield.