ARTICLE 42 — THE HUMAN WITH EXTRAORDINARY HEARING

Sound carries information about location, movement, structure, and communication.

Human hearing occupies only part of the acoustic spectrum.

A hypothetical auditory mutant could expand both sensitivity and processing ability.

Hearing Beyond Ordinary Range

The individual might detect frequencies ordinary humans cannot.

But hearing frequencies is only the beginning.

The brain would need to interpret them.

Direction

Two ears allow the brain to estimate the origin of sounds.

An extraordinary auditory system could potentially improve spatial localization.

The person might identify the location of a sound with exceptional accuracy.

The Acoustic Environment

Every building has an acoustic signature.

Walls reflect sound differently.

Objects absorb particular frequencies.

A sophisticated auditory system could potentially infer aspects of an environment through sound.

This resembles a biological form of sonar—not literal magical radar, but advanced spatial interpretation of acoustic information.

Information Overload

Again, greater sensory capability creates a filtering problem.

The superhuman must be able to ignore most sounds while focusing on one.

Otherwise, the environment becomes overwhelming.