#ear rumbling

[baambastic]

The tensor tympani is a muscle within the middle ear. It automatically contracts in order to dampen loud sounds, usually ones produced in one’s head, such as chewing, coughing, and swallowing, but it also reacts to external noises like thunder.

Interestingly, while the tensor tympani’s reaction to loud sounds is completely involuntary, approximately 16% of the population can voluntarily contract this muscle, producing a low rumbling sound in their ears. Reportedly, many “ear rumblers” to block out annoying or disruptive sounds, though most cannot keep the muscle contracted for longer than a minute at a time.

All of that is to say, my headcanon with regards to Kryptonians is that they have exceptional control over their tensor tympani muscles, which they “rumble” in order to block out most of the sound that would otherwise be picked up by their superhearing.

[thelastjack]

Loud clubs make me real appreciative of my weird ass ability to just dampen the noise in my ears at will

[official-torfmoor]

Can you voluntarily contract your tensor tympani?

Yes

No

What?

Voting ended onNov 11, 2023

[giganticrodent]

ALSO I learned about ear rumbling and spent a good portion of my evening learning how to trigger it. I can now do it with my mouth mostly closed lol

[eurigmorgan]

Ear rumbling is a special 'superpower' that not everyone has

Those of us who can do it know exactly what it is, while it's a mystery to those who cannot.

[inunah]

I know when there's something off with my ears when the ear rumble is quieter in one of them

[shogikappa]

Ever since I was small I always did this thing which I called "closing my ears". It involved me (or so I thought) moving something inside my ear, much like when I close my mouth. With my ears closed, I'd hear any sound I produce amplified (for those of you who can't close ears, you can try cupping your ears with your hands tight and saying things. You should hear your sounds louder). I always closed my ears to hum music because then I could hear my music louder. When I mentioned it to my parents and a doctor though, my parents didn't believe me, and the doctor didn't see anything move inside my ear, contrary to my expectations. My father told me, probably half-jokingly, not to mention this openly or else scientists would want to dissect me. Now today I read that this has been called "ear rumbling". Basically what I did is controlling a muscle in the middle ear called the tensor tympani. There are people who can do this, but it's not something everyone can (compared to rolling your tongue). Never have I been able to comprehend this, like I genuinely thought I was mutated wrong or something. So if any of you can also do this but was never able to figure out what the heck's with that, here's some light shed on that.

[shamecubist]

r/earrumblersassemble: A subreddit for those who can control their Tensor Tympani muscle.

I had no idea there were other members of my species living on this planet.