Being able to hear and localize a sound source is very important for our ability to communicate and have an active social life. Our ability to determine the direction from which a sound comes is essential in potentially dangerous situations, for example when crossing a road with a lot of traffic or reacting to warning calls.
…. with both ears
One of the major advantages of the physical position of our ears, one on either side of the head, is that it allows us to determine the direction of sounds. Due to the distance between our ears, the individual sounds will reach our ears with a timing difference and with different intensity. The brain registers and processes this information and lets us know where the individual sound comes from. Two good ears in combination make it easier to hear surrounding sounds better than with one ear. When both ears function optimally it is not only easier to distinguish sounds in background noise, but speech intelligibility, perception of space and sound quality are also improved.
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