24 ms·

I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet

918 points by shawndumas 9y ago

tobyhinloopen 9y ago
well that sucks
kbutler 9y ago
> An audiologist friend told me to go to an ENT physician if not better by 48 hours or the damage could be permanent. Much longer than that and it would be too late to try any of the interventions This seems like poor advice. If there is significant, realistic concern about permanent damage, I'd suggest checking immediately, rather than give it extra time...
- cian 9y ago
  Yes, I always find it amazing how patients can have a sudden sensorineural hearing loss and wait days before presenting. In my opinion patients and the public should treat it as urgently as a sudden sight loss. High dose steroids are regularly prescribed in this sort of scenario in an attempt to minimize damage, and are likely to be more effective the sooner they are given.
  - mannykannot 9y ago
    As I am not a doctor, I have always assumed that weird sesorimotor effects might be indicative of a stroke - though in this case, the author had an apparent cause. It puts me in mind of the Cuban embassy thing...
  - autokad 9y ago
    After hurting my neck in the shower, Me calling primary care: The earliest we can see you is next Tuesday Me skipping primary care & going to ER instead: After a 2 hour wait, I get condescendingly asked: why didn't you go to your primary care? That's why patients wait days before presenting.
    - asfasgasg 9y ago
      Given the choice between losing my hearing and a slightly unpleasant interaction with a service professional, I would typically choose the latter.
      - nemo1618 9y ago
        That's a bit uncharitable. The choice is rarely as clear as that. It's often hard to know whether an affliction is serious enough to warrant immediate attention. So the person must weigh the risk of delaying immediate treatment against the inconvenience and embarrassment of an unnecessary ER visit. It will be really nice when everyone has access to a medical AI that can assess these things instantly wherever you are.
        jjoonathan 9y ago
        > inconvenience and embarrassment And cost, now that insurance is playing the "we only cover ER visits that were necessary in hindsight" game. For those of us at the top of the pleb pyramid it's not so bad, but for the average person, a single mistake can be ruinous.
        w00kie 9y ago
        Japan has a nice system: when you're not sure your issue is bad enough to call 119 (Japanese version of 911), you can call 7119 which will tell you if it's really an emergency and you need an ambulance or if you should just rest and see a doctor in the morning.
        BuildTheRobots 9y ago
        We have similar in the UK (NHS 111) - but because they're rather err on the side of caution, they usually refer you to A&E anyway. They do seem to have some sway over the GPs though - Rather than A&E, they've refereed me to the Doctors instead. When I said it's impossible to get an appointment 111 told me to tell the Doctors they've referred me. At that point the Doctors seem to _have_ to see you the same day.
  - johnchristopher 9y ago
    I experienced an audio trauma when I was 17. Tinnitus followed. Parents told me "let's wait a week or two and if it isn't gone away then we'll make an appointment". Once the verdict of definitive hear loss and permanent noise was confirmed my dad told me: "don't stay too close to hammers next time". To this day I still wait until I can't move/breath/feel to go to the doctor. edit: unfordable health care and/or bad money education is how people end up putting health to the bottom of the list.
    - Symbiote 9y ago
      Europeans know American adults don't have free healthcare. If you really want to shock a European, tell them that American children don't have free heathcare either. (I remember discovering this when I was about 14, on holiday in the US, when my younger brother caught pneumonia.)
      - johnchristopher 9y ago
        Well, I am European (and living in a country with one of the best coverage).
  - ThrowawayP 9y ago
    > Yes, I always find it amazing how patients can have a sudden sensorineural hearing loss and wait days before presenting. Having gone to the physician with complaints many times and be told to wait to see if the issue goes away (most of them didn't) or that there's nothing to be done about it, one is quickly trained not to bother going to a physician for anything short of a major injury. (And this behavior is from a physician who is a Ph.D at a teaching hospital, no less.)
  - sizzle 9y ago
    You take healthcare for granted. Not everyone can be seen in 24 hours.
  - beenBoutIT 9y ago
    If you're looking for something with a profound anti-inflammatory effect you can get more out of high potency CBD(Cannabidiol) than from high potency steroids. Side effects are generally less with the CBD, although it's exponentially more expensive.
- golemotron 9y ago
  What are the interventions?
  - hh3k0 9y ago
    As Cian pointed out: high-dose steroids.
    - Filligree 9y ago
      Why do they help?
      - meganibla 9y ago
        Prevent Inflammation of course.
      - acjohnson55 9y ago
        I don't know if it's conclusively known, other than inflammation in response to the injury tends to exacerbate the damage to the inner ear. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0012465/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0012465/
        phkahler 9y ago
        A friends daughter got a brain injury from a car-pedestrian accident. He learned a lot, and told me his take away: If you hit your head and have any concern about it, take Ibuprofen to prevent swelling/inflamation and drive to Ann Arbor (we're in Michigan but that's over an hour away). The first part made sense, the second he said that town and UofM are known for treating that kind of thing. He has them in such high regard that it's worth the drive not even knowing who you're going to see ahead of time!?!?!?
        hh3k0 9y ago
        Hm -- the website of Mayo Clinic says that you should avoid Ibuprofen if you might have a concussion, as they may increase the risk of bleeding. "Avoid other pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and aspirin, as these medications may increase the risk of bleeding." See: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355600 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/di...
- ryandrake 9y ago
  It’s often a cost/risk trade off. A lot of things do fix themselves with time and if you default to going right to the doctor every time you’re injured or feel sick it’s going to cost a fortune, unless you have some kind of gold plated insurance. Some things have to be looked at right away, but for some things it’s unnecessary, and it can pay to wait it out. (of course the above reasoning is pretty specific to the USA— could be different for people in more civilized places)
  - astura 9y ago
    It's not even a cost, I have free healthcare through the military and I hesitate to visit doctors. First off, 99% of the time whatever it is fixes itself with time. Going to the doctor requires lots of time and effort, outside urgent care or the ER you're going to have to be going during the workday. Then they might refer you to other doctors and each one wants more and more of your time. I know a guy who goes to the doctor every time he has a viral infection to get antibiotics. Then he has to go back for different antibiotics because he doesn't feel better right away. That seems like a lot of effort when the alternative is doing nothing for the same outcome. The other big issue I have with doctors, I don't know if they are going to prescribe me some bullshit because the real treatment is "you'll get better with time" or the real answer is "there's nothing we can do about that." Or, much worse, something that they believe will help you but is not evidence based. Before you get upset - I once had an MD refer me to a (licensed) physical therapist for craniosacral therapy (complete woo) which billed it to my insurance as something like "physical manipulations." It's also just how I was raised, when I grew up, my parents would say "we'll see if it gets better," and it always did. When I grew up and starting visiting the doctor for things at the advice of others it didn't improve my health outcomes yet significantly increased my annoyance level.
    - eaandkw2 9y ago
      Going to war in Iraq a few times I have heard and experienced a lot of loud sounds. Being about 20m away from the impact of a 105mm canon from an AC-130 was pretty loud. Being right next to a M1 Abrams was probably the worst. A Marine near me actually had a collapsed lung from being in the blast zone. I also RSO’d for a range that shot off 41 SMAW rockets. I had a bad headache for a couple of days after that. Then there was that time that I parked my LAV-25 about 100m from an artillery battery right before they fired a mission where they had to be using a charge 8 or something because a kept losing my train of thought for a minute or so every time they fired a volley. And yes my hearing is pretty bad now. Hopefully I can get hearing aid later on. Edit: changed ear plugs to hearing aid.
- jorde 9y ago
  Dortor specialized in hearing loss told me to "overdose" on vitamin C as high levels apparently raise blood pressure and thus lead to more blood flow in ears which should help on the recovery of the hairs. There's also pressure tank treatment but I doubt one would get access to one in time. And time is at essence when it comes to hearing loss.
draw_down 9y ago
I’m always suspicious of the hasty calculations and assumptions made in such a fashion, but that is indeed pretty surprising.
emodendroket 9y ago
This is a neat story, but I continue to wonder why people use "tweetstorms" to write long-form stuff like that.
- lkrubner 9y ago
  I wonder about that too. It seems like they could write a blog post somewhere else, like Blogger or Tumblr or their own blog, and then link to it from Twitter? That was how Twitter first came into existence, was to link to content that was elsewhere. Perhaps the author feels they would lose their audience if they tried to send people elsewhere? That would be somewhat ironic, if we got to the point where people were unwilling to follow links from Twitter, to other sources of content. (I'll refrain from making a joke about all the Russian bots that really have nothing better to do.)
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    Probably, it's observed behavior that people that will read a tweetstorm won't follow a link to an external source.
- sparkzilla 9y ago
  I actually thought it was easier to read in this form. I can't be bothered with articles that have too much padding.
  - emodendroket 9y ago
    I think I like features like "paragraphs" that are not possible in this form.
    - evan_ 9y ago
      People can and do use line breaks in tweets, but if you think of each tweet as a paragraph it makes sense too.
      - 9y ago
stevespang 9y ago
OMG, now you just released a "national security threat" into the wild. No doubt Cuban / Russian spys will reading your story and incorporating this into their schemes near our Cuban embassy !
Keverw 9y ago
That's insane! Never would of thought it would mess with your hearing. I figured just a nasty mess to clean up. Our toilet seems like it wants to run every so often but usually wiggling the lever helps. I hate lifting that thing up, always imagine what a mess it would be if you dropped it. I wish they made the tank lids out of plastic.
- lsaferite 9y ago
  You could go the wall-mount toilet rout like you find in Europe. The only ceramic there is the bowl itself. https://www.homedepot.com/p/300820608 https://www.homedepot.com/p/300820608
  - krupan 9y ago
    That looks much harder to get into the tank to fix things. Is it?
    - LaGrange 9y ago
      I thought so too when these started to get common, but for one reason or another I _never_ had to fix one of these in like 15 years I've lived with them, compared to the almost regular maintenance the old stuff required.
      - rootusrootus 9y ago
        I think the 'regular' style toilet tanks only require more frequent maintenance because they're inexpensive and people use crappy home store parts in them. You can buy five regular old toilets for the price of that wall-mount Toto. My policy is to use high quality parts in the tank and I've found it pays dividends -- it's been years since I've had to do any maintenance on any of our toilets aside from cleaning.
        astura 9y ago
        I'm almost 40 and so far there has been only once in my life I had to do maintenance on a toilet, and I've always had "regular" ones. It was to replace a gasket.
bambax 9y ago
When I fix things in my house I usually wear ear muffs -- and gloves. Not sure I would have, just for tinkering with the toilet tank, but I will now! (It's amazing how many things can go wrong and hurt you.)
- legohead 9y ago
  And goggles of course!
nonamenoslogan 9y ago
truculation 9y ago
Remember yesterday's 'caloric restriction' supplement? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16717935 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16717935 Turns out it might also help with noise-induced hearing loss: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286408.php https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286408.php >Additionally, the team found that NR was equally effective when given both before or after the mice were exposed to the noise.
fwdpropaganda 9y ago
Damn, this is one smart plumber.
- LukeShu 9y ago
  Dr. Philip Metzger is a planetary physicist who recently retired from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he co-founded the KSC Swamp Works. He now is now at the University of Central Florida -- but still a part of the Swamp Works team -- his website
  - fwdpropaganda 9y ago
    Jesus Christ, so they don't pay him enough and he's fixing toilets on the side?
    - ed_balls 9y ago
      I do stuff like this because: - I like fixing stuff - It would take longer to call someone and be in home while he is fixing it.
    - faitswulff 9y ago
      It's-a-me, Dr. Mario!
    - monochromatic 9y ago
      When I come home from a day of working at a computer, I like the opportunity to use my hands. Fixing or building stuff is fun.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
    - lotsofpulp 9y ago
      Fixing a toilet is dead simple, as are most household tasks. Either you'd have to be very rich to not have it be worth 1 hour of your time, since a plumber will surely be $100 at least, or you can't be bothered to watch a couple short videos on youtube.
acjohnson55 9y ago
I wonder if another issue is that the hard surfaces of the typical bathroom would make the energy reflect more before dissipating. Even worse if the dimensions of the bathroom lead to resonances with 3.5kHz. Bathrooms are famously reflective, producing the reverberation that makes shower singing sound palatable.
- simooooo 9y ago
  Wonder if that applies to kitchens too.. Last time a thick mug bounced off a casserole dish and was left holding my ears wondering how the F it could be so loud
chrisper 9y ago
How long until California requires a warning on every toilet and restroom? (Yes, yes I'm joking)
0xfaded 9y ago
I have mild tinnitus in one ear, from what I suspect was a friend screaming into my ear that she was going to the bathroom at a noisy club. I'm relatively lucky, my hearing is still better than most, but it does suck. I've decided I will never go to another club, and in bars I wear ear plugs. I have more to lose, since any additional damage will likely make my tinnitus more severe. Seriously though, hearing is one of those things you don't think about until it's too late. Protect your ears.
- symfoniq 9y ago
  This can also happen when holding your upset child and they scream near your ear. Be careful, parents!
  - _sdegutis 9y ago
    Never got tinnitus from it but it does make me lose balance fast.
    - dvtv75 9y ago
      I have the balance problem, too. A hearing specialist suggested that one of the bones in my ear was made of a spongy material rather than bone, which can cause it.
  - sthlm 9y ago
    I can attest to that, my newborn at the time screamed into my ear unexpectedly loud and my hearing was affected for a few days.
  - celticninja 9y ago
    Yup have occasional tinnitus in my left ear from one of my children screaming in it while I was holding them.
- flyinglizard 9y ago
  I get to visit clubs/shows every few months and I always use a pair of musician earplugs, (Etymotic, standard - not custom fitted). It gives a nice and even attenuation, which after few minutes you don't even notice (other than perhaps slightly elevating very low frequencies relative to the rest). Your mind is very quick to normalize the volume level anyway, no matter if you're with or without protection. Why suffer permanent damage then?
cfv 9y ago
Super interesting reading!
maj0rhn 9y ago
An unmentioned physiological consideration, remembered from a lecture long ago... The rapid onset of the sound is an important factor. The ear has muscular reflexes that lessen the damage of loud sounds, but only if the onset of the sound takes longer than the time it takes the reflex to kick in. The toilet tank sound probably had onset approaching that of a square wave, so this neatly evaded the reflex. Evolutionarily, one can understand why there was no need to protect the ear from loud rapid-onset sounds... those sounds don't exist widely in nature, e.g. a roaring waterfall roars continuously. Someone could smash two rocks together right next to your ear, but the fact that the rocks didn't smash your cranium is perhaps more important. :-)
- inferiorhuman 9y ago
  To that end, Mercedes-Benz is playing around with technology to create a loud noise before the airbags deploy in a crash. The ideas is that by triggering this loud noise reflex, the ear will protect itself from the louder noises of airbag deployments.
  - slhck 9y ago
    Link for those interested: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/next/connectivity/pre-safe-sound-playing-pink-noise-in-the-split-second-before-impact/ https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/next/connecti... > If an impending collision is detected, the vehicle’s sound system plays a short interference signal, which can trigger a reflex, whereby the stapedius muscle in the ears contracts, which alters the link between the eardrum and the inner ear for a split second and better protects the inner ear against high acoustic pressures, which can result from a loud crash.
  - eeZah7Ux 9y ago
    Various cars have that already.
    - inferiorhuman 9y ago
      Such as?
tnorthcutt 9y ago
Tank lid, or bowl lid? The author repeatedly switches between the two.
- Hydraulix989 9y ago
  Pretty sure it's the tank lid.
- sah2ed 9y ago
  Tank lid: > "I was fixing the mechanism inside the tank of the toilet. The only thing left to do was to put the ceramic lid back on the tank. Unfortunately it slipped out of my hands and banged on the ceramic of the toilet rim." I'm guessing every other occurrence of "toilet bowl lid" is a typo due to the medium being Twitter.
  - adrianmonk 9y ago
    Or the tank lid slipped and hit the bowl. That's not where it's supposed to go, but gravity might take it there anyway if you fail to get it on top of the tank.
- Yizahi 9y ago
  Tanks are usually very loud, so probably it.
fragsworth 9y ago
My hearing was ACTUALLY permanently damaged when a sticky iron weight fell on a leg press machine at a 24-hour fitness about 5 years ago. The weights looked like these: http://www.presentationzen.com/.a/6a00d83451b64669e201156eb409b4970c-450wi http://www.presentationzen.com/.a/6a00d83451b64669e201156eb4... One extra weight slab was "stuck" to the group that was supposed to get lifted. It was stuck because the weights at the gym were grimy from many years of use without being cleaned. The extra slab, when it reached the top, finally detached and slid down maybe 20-30 inches, and made a sound that everyone in the gym heard, but right next to my ear. A few people even made angry faces at me for being a noisy lifter. Ever since then, to this day, I have had tinnitus in that ear, and many sounds come in like "static", for lack of a better explanation. All I can say is be careful with those weights if they get sticky, and if they are near your ear...
- Exuma 9y ago
  Jesus, this entire post is terrifying.
- jclos 9y ago
  I already thought the leg press machine was a death trap, but you managed to give me another reason to dislike it. I think I'll stick to squatting.
  - komali2 9y ago
    Ever since that video where the girl's legs go chicken style so very slowly while she screams, I've been scared as shit to get on that thing.
    - rubicon33 9y ago
      uhhh... what?
      - felipemnoa 9y ago
        He may be talking about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkf7HP2-pr8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkf7HP2-pr8
cup-of-tea 9y ago
Once when I was camping I decided to try to use a plastic bottle as a pillow. I put my head on it sideways and the plastic made a really loud pop and my ear instantly started ringing really loudly like nothing I've experienced before. I was deaf in that ear for about a minute while it rang and it terrified me. Luckily it went away. More recently something happened to that ear. It started to get water in it every day then stopped getting water in it but now I have tinnitus in that ear. Ears are extremely sensitive and it doesn't take much to damage them.
- ehnto 9y ago
  You may have a sticky wax or otherwise blocked ear that was trapping the water. Wax or other buildup in the ear can cause tinnitus (and of course attenuated hearing, ranging from imperceptible to completely muffled). It would be worth going to see a doctor and get them to check inside your ears. You certainly wouldn't want to spend weeks thinking you had permanent tinnitus or hearing loss when it could be as simple as an ear flush. I can tell you that from experience.
calebm 9y ago
Great and to-the-point analysis.
abakker 9y ago
I work a lot in a wood shop/metal shop. I’ve always been a big proponent of ear protection. Recently, I’ve been using shure in ear monitors for blocking small sounds and supplementing with ear muffs when real tools are on. However, I’ve started to just wear those in ear monitors around even without listening to anything. The ear plug feature is actually really great. I can get on muni or bart in the Bay Area with them and listen to a book at 3-4 clicks of iPhone volume. It’s pretty great to get used to things being quiet.
- jads 9y ago
  I've tried Shure (and other) earphones like this before, but could never stand the rustling of cable noise. Does that bother you at all, or do you have any recommendations for stopping it? I've tried shirt clips and cable loops, but nothing ever worked. For now, I use either over-ear noise canceling headphones or just AirPods.
  - leetcrew 9y ago
    if i understand correctly, the noise is caused by physical vibrations (as opposed to electrical waves) propagating up the cables. i think it's basically insoluble for earbuds/iems.
    - owlsaway 9y ago
      Microphonics!^[1] This is why you'll see IEMs designed with the cable going up and around your ear, rather than straight down. [1]: http://ear-buds.org/microphonics-and-how-it-affects-your-earbuds/ http://ear-buds.org/microphonics-and-how-it-affects-your-ear... (I have no idea how sourcing things works here. Hopefully I did it right?)
      - rocqua 9y ago
        Pretty close to how most people source. You can just leave out the ^ it's just an inline [1], [2] etc. There are now hard and fast rules though, it's just common practice. I think this is essentially people copying the ACM reference style.
trott 9y ago
> This predicts 138 dB of sound. I doubt that one can calculate the sound amplitude accurately without doing experiments or complex simulations here. It's possible that the toilet bowl or lid focused the sound like a satellite dish, and the protagonist's ear was in the exact wrong place at the wrong time. Visual aid: https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/energy/in-pictures-new-wave-of-tidal-energy-research-as-wave-tank-opens-in-edinburgh/ https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/energy/in-pictures-new-wave...
- Zitrax 9y ago
  Which is also mentioned in the article: "This lid was concave up like an antenna, near my face when it hit, focusing the energy into my face."
  - trott 9y ago
    Thanks. The spherical wave assumption used in the calculation is not compatible with the focusing effect, and could be wildly wrong in this case.
macintux 9y ago
I very recently thought I might have permanently damaged my eyesight. I was working from a library, and stood to start closing up for the day. As I started to close my laptop, the screen (hi, glossy MacBook Pro) directly reflected the sun behind me. For the next 15-20 minutes a significant portion of my vision in both eyes was wavy. I could still safely drive home, thankfully, but it was a severe distraction. While I expected it to eventually clear up, it struck home how fragile my career is. (I know it's possible to be a blind software developer, but I'm not sure I could afford to take the short-term hit, assuming my employer wouldn't pay me to spend months relearning how to live and work.)
- cschneid 9y ago
  My biggest fear right now as a developer is losing the ability to work due to an injury. I recently bought long-term disability insurance, which is expensive for sure, but makes me feel so much safer. (what I got - after 6 months of self-covered disability, it'd pay a significant amount every month until age 65) My main worry is falling while biking or skiing, and knocking my head. But now I'm worried about eyesight, and my hands, and everything else around the modern world.
  - kirse 9y ago
    Max out the LTD insurance and enjoy life. I ride a motorcycle, there's only so much you can control in life. If you're that concerned about the chance of freak-odds events happening in your life, you might as well be buying lottery tickets too. I know a dev who is paralyzed and types/codes (quite well, too) with a pen attached to his forehead, you'd find a way to adapt.
    - cschneid 9y ago
      For sure, I took up skiing this year (I'm so bad at it, but it's so fun). In no way is what I said meant to be "Crippling worry that affects my life". More of a rational: "this is the most likely way I get really screwed, so I bought insurance"
  - DenisM 9y ago
rdiddly 9y ago
A rubber gasket on the tank lid would be nice. Quieter when placing it, and probably quieter when the tank is filling.
- gowld 9y ago
  Also less likely to shatter when placing it, which is the primary cause of needing a whole new toilet.
mrob 9y ago
Another possible source of unexpected extremely loud noises: cleaning things with compressed air. If you blow it through a small orifice of the right dimensions then it can act as a whistle. The energy will be concentrated at one frequency, and compressed air generally blows a lot harder than lung power. I first heard of this from a Youtube video, possibly from one of AvE's, although it could have been from somebody else's.
- hollander 9y ago
  Buses with air brakes can cause very loud sudden noises. If they pass right beside you, you can only hope it won't cause any damage.
- dvtv75 9y ago
  I bought a compressor a couple of years ago, and good grief is that thing noisy. I always wearing hearing and eye protection when using it, and I'm glad for it. First time I tested the emergency release valve, I didn't know which direction it would release the air. If I hadn't been wearing safety glasses, I could have lost my eyes as it released directly into my face. I now have a rule of not allowing anybody in the workshop with me while using it, if they're not wearing both hearing and eye protection.
logingone 9y ago
In the UK employers have to provide eye test vouchers for employees who use screen display equipment. I keep thinking that if the government knew anything about dev environments they'd be providing us with free hearing tests instead.
- icebraining 9y ago
  I don't get it, why?
dayjah 9y ago
Now we’ll have stickers saying: “These toilet lids are known to cause deafness in the State of California”... </s>
robinduckett 9y ago
The word you're looking for is cistern. Other related parts of a toilet, include the ballcock, a name which I find particularly amusing.
11thEarlOfMar 9y ago
I once completely lost the hearing in my right ear. It was muted one day and completely deaf the next. I made an urgent appointment with my doctor and he said, "It's a virus, you're hearing will return in a week." I said, AYFKM? No, he wasn't kidding me. A week later, it returned in full.
- biggieshellz 9y ago
  You got really lucky. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (what you had) is often permanent.
abalone 9y ago
Apart from all the good discussion on hearing loss... now I’m thinking about “safer” toilets. Why are lids made from ceramic anyway? I get why the bowl is, but the lid? Beyond the loudness / hearing loss issue, it’s just so darn heavy!
- scarlac 9y ago
  > Why are lids made from ceramic anyway? Could be because of production reasons. Easier to get it produced in the same place than to coordinate shipping to another place and assembly.
  - abalone 9y ago
    But they're heavier and more expensive to ship. I doubt it's that hard to make matching lids to spec. The industry makes matching toilet seats separately, after all. It must have something to do with the material. A thread on Reddit suggests a couple possibilities:[1] - porcelain in more anti-bacterial than plastic (is that true??) - a heavy lid offers more sonic insulation of the rather loud hydraulic mechanism (this seems plausible) Man, I did not plan on getting obsessed with toilet lids today. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29o5nz/eli5why_are_toilets_made_of_ceramic_instead_of/ https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29o5nz/e...
- Johnny555 9y ago
  Probably the same reason the rest of the toilet is -- it's strong, durable, scratch resistant, doesn't degrade with age (toilets can last for decades, my parent's toilet is original with the house, so is 40+ years old), and is easy to clean. It's heavy enough to not need any fastening mechanism to keep it on. And it perfectly matches the rest of the toilet, so you don't end up with a yellowed plastic lid on your bright white ceramic toilet.
  - abalone 9y ago
    > Probably the same reason the rest of the toilet is Not all of the toilet is ceramic/porcelain. Seats are typically made of durable plastic and are designed to be replaced every decade or so. A plastic lid would probably last much longer. > ...and is easy to clean A lightweight lid would be easier to clean.
coupdejarnac 9y ago
I've made a few free iOS apps for tinnitus, if anyone wants to try. They use masking therapy, so while not a permanent fix, they might help a little. https://bxtel.com/serene.html https://bxtel.com/serene.html
jjw1414 9y ago
I wouldn't make this up even I could. I am LITERALLY fixing the toilet mechanism with the tank lid off and checked HN while waiting for a hot glue gun to heat up. I'm thinking Pulp Fiction divine intervention.
- ehsankia 9y ago
  I guess we take it as a given since no one here is talking about it, but why does the toilet lid need to be so overly heavy? Is there any specific functionality that requires it to be out of that material and so big?
  - THE_PUN_STOPS 9y ago
    Maybe it's extra material to quiet the otherwise annoying sound of the refill after every flush? (since the tank functions a bit like a loudspeaker pointed up) If so, a bit ironic in the context of this post.
  - jjw1414 9y ago
    Just a guess, but because the base of the toilet needs to support users of all body weights, a sturdy material like porcelain (or clay) is used. The tank lid is likely poured and fired at the same time as the base so that they match. Agreed that it makes for a darn heavy obstacle to get at the mechanism. And to all who have posted about having tinnitus, I feel your pain. My left ear has been affected for two years now and I've had to learn to live with it. I hope you all fare better.
  - jcl 9y ago
    I assume that toilet lids are ceramic to have the same durability and antiseptic properties as the rest of the toilet, and that they are made thick enough to not break if dropped. There are probably other materials that would also work, though... I'd expect any material used for toilet seat lids (plastic, or coated wood composite) satisfies similar constraints. Incidentally, ceramic can become razor-sharp when broken, so the article's suggestion of making lids easier to break carries its own set of risks.
  - zaat 9y ago
cbanek 9y ago
One other interesting point that could come up but wasn't in the calculations is the reflection of the sound of the toilet tank lid hitting the tank. Most toilets are put into little nooks with just a few open inches between the toilet and the wall it backs up to, and maybe a foot on either side of the toilet, making a little alcove. Sound will reflect off the walls rather than dissipating in all directions, which is effectively bringing you closer to the source of the sound, or making it louder.
TipVFL 9y ago
Tangentially related, I just suffered hearing loss from a completely unexpected source. After discontinuing anti-depressants I developed fairly intense tinnitus in both ears, and after 3 months it hasn't gotten any better. It's bad enough that I can't sleep at night without music playing fairly loud (loud for night, probably a pretty normal volume for music listening). I researched and discovered that it's a known, somewhat common side effect, and it may be permanent. I count myself as a bit lucky, since it sometimes causes permanent deafness. I'm pretty sure if my doctor had mentioned the possibility of going deaf, I would have chosen a different treatment.
- howard941 9y ago
  Which medication?
  - TipVFL 9y ago
    Remeron, also known as mirtazapine.
    - howard941 9y ago
      Thank you for the data point. My psych offered that for consideration as a replacement for anxiety-inducing Effexor XR / Venlafaxine. I will explore alternatives.
aylons 9y ago
More than a decade ago, when I started listening to podcasts during commuting, I was worried I was cranking the volume too high to compensate fot external noise - trains, buses, traffic, etc. So, I decided to buy a Shure sound-isolating phone. These are monitors for musicians in stage to hear to what they are doing while avoiding the extreme PA towers next to them. They're expensive, but high-quality and isolate noise VERY well. Before, I listened to the podcasts at literally eleven or more (sounds like a joke, but that crappy MP3 player went from 1 to 12 or 15). After that, I listened at level 2, and even when the podcasts were over I left the earphones for ear comfort and protection. Sadly, the model I had did not had replaceable cables and eventually, the cable worn out. Now I'm back to JBL earphone, which does help a little bit, but nowhere as near a Shure monitor. After reading OP and the comments, I'm considering spending the extra money on a monitor again.
- djmips 9y ago
  Why not fix the cable yourself? Sounds worth it.
  - aylons 9y ago
    It broke in the input for the phone housing. Very hard fix. I'm very experienced with soldering, but a bit clumsy with mechanical details. I tried, and actually fixed the cable, but the phone housing never quite fit well again. Also, I decided after this to only go with bluetooth phones. Detachable-cable Shure phones have bluetooth options and I'm going with it as soon as I have the money.
- defterGoose 9y ago
  Highly recommend upgrading. I had three pairs of E3s back in the mid noughts. Cable went out twice, was replaced twice by Shure under warranty over several years. I bought the se425 a couple years later and they are probably the finest value headphones I've ever owned (versatile, dynamic, accurate, quiet) compared to RS1s and HD600s, and the replaceable cord is undeniably elegant
  - 9y ago
PeterStuer 9y ago
I actually got tinnitus from a Toshiba laptop 2,5" hard drive. The high pitched noise it made got worse gradually over time. By the time I realized it, it was too late.
ryanmarsh 9y ago
I have some hearing damage from IED’s, small arms fire, and such. I’m concerned about further hearing damage but what really terrifies me is Tinnitus. The stories I’ve read are scary. People turning drugs to make the sounds stop. I already hear nearly constant brown noise. I can’t imagine what a high pitched sound would do to me. Glad the author was ok.
- dvtv75 9y ago
  As someone who's had it for.. what, 37 years, let me tell you that you shouldn't let it terrify you. You can train yourself to ignore the sound. Doesn't mean you don't hear it, just that you won't pay attention to it most of the time. When properly trained, it's little more than an irritation. I'm more terrified of arthritis than I am of tinnitus.
kjdsiheioahef 9y ago
Unless you have experienced long term severe tinnitus + hyperacusis + hearing loss, it's impossible to understand how much such a combination reduces quality of life. Sorry you have to go through this, OP.
nate_meurer 9y ago
A little PSA: there is some evidence that magnesium can help prevent/cure acute noise-induced hearing loss. Google returns several reputable studies. Also: earplugs, earplugs, earplugs. I keep foam earplugs on me at all times. I have some in my fifth pants pocket, I keep some in a pill container on my keyring, some in my backpack, in my car, etc. I cut them in half; the half size fits easier and takes up less space, and the slightly lower sound attenuation is actually more useful for me in most circumstances. I go through a lot of ear plugs this way, and a few years ago I realized that some of them degrade over time such that they become roughly half as effective. The closed cell foam seems to wear out somehow. I started wearing these degraded plugs more and more often, to the point that I now wear them most of the time. Always when I'm out of the house, and most of the time at home as well. They can be cleaned by soaking in alcohol. Alcohol works well on ears too, but most people's ears need no or very sparse cleaning. I've worn these low-performance earplugs nearly non-stop for years now and my hearing has recovered some of the sensitivity of my youth. When I started leaving them in all the time I was a bit like an elderly person, asking people to repeat themselves frequently. This went away as my sensitivity improved, and after maybe six months my plugged hearing was as good as my formerly unplugged hearing. Now I kinda feel naked without them. If I'm doing something loud, like working on a table saw, I'll put in fresh ear plugs, or wear extra protection like muffs.
- JohnJamesRambo 9y ago
  This is one of the weirder things I’ve ever read here and I read a lot of strange behaviors here. You wear earplugs full time man, that’s not normal, you are missing out on unimpeded hearing due to a fear of hearing loss that likely is not based on science. Normal level sounds don’t degrade hearing as far as I know and loud sounds aren’t that common, certainly not enough to warrant wearing earplugs full time. https://www.american-hearing.org/disorders/noise-induced-hearing-loss/#intensity https://www.american-hearing.org/disorders/noise-induced-hea... You could expose yourself to 8 hours a day of a lawnmower at 90 dB and 90% of the population would be fine.
  - matte_black 9y ago
    It’s not that strange. I wear earplugs (although they are low profile hidden ones) if I’m going to a loud venue, such as a really loud bar, or club, or a concert. It increases my enjoyment of these places and also makes it easier to have conversations with people.
jk2323 9y ago
In the second World War, the tank of my uncle took a full hit on the turret while fighting the Russians and he was the only survivor. Tell him about bad hearing after bleeding out of both ears. :-)
amelius 9y ago
Related: birds have the ability to regrow sensory hair cells in the ears after they have become damaged, [1]. Perhaps someday we'll be able to transfer this ability to humans. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17891722 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17891722
emmelaich 9y ago
This story would be even greater with diagrams / animations.
protomyth 9y ago
A safer toilet bowl lid (!) should bust apart on impact, using up the energy by breaking molecular bonds. Please, no. We don't need to substitute one injury type for another. I can only imagine the cuts that would result from a lid that breaks. A plastic or rubber liner on the top of the toilet tank would be sufficient.
ccajas 9y ago
I very much believe that story. Damn ceramic made objects, they are loud af. A lot of ceramics have this peculiar property that puts them very high up on "noise to impact" ratio, or whatever you want to call it. I remember my mom always complaining about not damaging plates because you can accidentally drop it from one inch and hear an unpleasant clattering. Because the sound it makes you'd think it fell much higher than that.
EamonnMR 9y ago
I once toasted a bread roll with a very round upper surface. It was very hard, and I was curious about breaking it. So I whacked it with a spoon and instantly all sound in the ear facing it was replaced by a ringing which faded slowly away over the next couple of minutes.
llsf 9y ago
This toilet lid clearly messed with the wrong guy !
rosstex 9y ago
I have a lot of earwax build-up, so whenever I wear earplugs they stick out stupidly. But this thread has scared me to death, so I think I'll keep on using them.
- verisimilitude 9y ago
  Oh oh I have something to help you! I used to struggle with them sticking out, too -- but since I watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S6dthcSVIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S6dthcSVIM I can pop them in and you can't even see them when you're looking at me head-on. You _have_ to use two hands to put them in -- pulling up on the ear is essential. The roll-down information is helpful, too. Now, I can yawn and move my jaw every which way and the seal is never broken. Actually changed my life, since I wear earplugs for most of the night and a lot of the day.
  - rosstex 9y ago
    Thanks for your reply, I'll try this! Anything to look less foolish.
oblib 9y ago
I did a lot of metal work when I was young, hammering and grinding steel. I have tinnitus in both ears. Ginko Biloba does a good job of getting rid of it. I have to take it daily or it comes back, and it takes a few days for it to start working, but it sure is nice to get rid of it.
miko1293949 9y ago
> Beef has an outsize environmental footprint. Per gram of protein, beef requires on average 50 times more land and produces 100 times more greenhouse gases than do beans and other plant-based proteins. Replacing 30% of the beef with mushrooms in the roughly 10 billion burgers that Americans eat each year would reduce emissions equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road, according to the World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank in Washington DC. How do they make this calculations? Is it a proper way to present scientific data on the best scenice journal in the world?
- vollmond 9y ago
  You seem to be on the wrong thread, fyi.
goldenkey 9y ago
On a related note, a fun fact: the sound of the Saturn V rocket taking off would instantly vaporize anyone close enough. This is also true for the recently launched SpaceX Falcon assembly / Merlin rockets.

918 points by shawndumas 9y ago

well that sucks

> An audiologist friend told me to go to an ENT physician if not better by 48 hours or the damage could be permanent. Much longer than that and it would be too late to try any of the interventions This seems like poor advice. If there is significant, realistic concern about permanent damage, I'd suggest checking immediately, rather than give it extra time...

cian 9y ago
Yes, I always find it amazing how patients can have a sudden sensorineural hearing loss and wait days before presenting. In my opinion patients and the public should treat it as urgently as a sudden sight loss. High dose steroids are regularly prescribed in this sort of scenario in an attempt to minimize damage, and are likely to be more effective the sooner they are given.
- mannykannot 9y ago
  As I am not a doctor, I have always assumed that weird sesorimotor effects might be indicative of a stroke - though in this case, the author had an apparent cause. It puts me in mind of the Cuban embassy thing...
- autokad 9y ago
  After hurting my neck in the shower, Me calling primary care: The earliest we can see you is next Tuesday Me skipping primary care & going to ER instead: After a 2 hour wait, I get condescendingly asked: why didn't you go to your primary care? That's why patients wait days before presenting.
  - asfasgasg 9y ago
    Given the choice between losing my hearing and a slightly unpleasant interaction with a service professional, I would typically choose the latter.
    - nemo1618 9y ago
      That's a bit uncharitable. The choice is rarely as clear as that. It's often hard to know whether an affliction is serious enough to warrant immediate attention. So the person must weigh the risk of delaying immediate treatment against the inconvenience and embarrassment of an unnecessary ER visit. It will be really nice when everyone has access to a medical AI that can assess these things instantly wherever you are.
      - jjoonathan 9y ago
        > inconvenience and embarrassment And cost, now that insurance is playing the "we only cover ER visits that were necessary in hindsight" game. For those of us at the top of the pleb pyramid it's not so bad, but for the average person, a single mistake can be ruinous.
      - w00kie 9y ago
        Japan has a nice system: when you're not sure your issue is bad enough to call 119 (Japanese version of 911), you can call 7119 which will tell you if it's really an emergency and you need an ambulance or if you should just rest and see a doctor in the morning.
        BuildTheRobots 9y ago
        We have similar in the UK (NHS 111) - but because they're rather err on the side of caution, they usually refer you to A&E anyway. They do seem to have some sway over the GPs though - Rather than A&E, they've refereed me to the Doctors instead. When I said it's impossible to get an appointment 111 told me to tell the Doctors they've referred me. At that point the Doctors seem to _have_ to see you the same day.
- johnchristopher 9y ago
  I experienced an audio trauma when I was 17. Tinnitus followed. Parents told me "let's wait a week or two and if it isn't gone away then we'll make an appointment". Once the verdict of definitive hear loss and permanent noise was confirmed my dad told me: "don't stay too close to hammers next time". To this day I still wait until I can't move/breath/feel to go to the doctor. edit: unfordable health care and/or bad money education is how people end up putting health to the bottom of the list.
  - Symbiote 9y ago
    Europeans know American adults don't have free healthcare. If you really want to shock a European, tell them that American children don't have free heathcare either. (I remember discovering this when I was about 14, on holiday in the US, when my younger brother caught pneumonia.)
    - johnchristopher 9y ago
      Well, I am European (and living in a country with one of the best coverage).
- ThrowawayP 9y ago
  > Yes, I always find it amazing how patients can have a sudden sensorineural hearing loss and wait days before presenting. Having gone to the physician with complaints many times and be told to wait to see if the issue goes away (most of them didn't) or that there's nothing to be done about it, one is quickly trained not to bother going to a physician for anything short of a major injury. (And this behavior is from a physician who is a Ph.D at a teaching hospital, no less.)
- sizzle 9y ago
  You take healthcare for granted. Not everyone can be seen in 24 hours.
- beenBoutIT 9y ago
  If you're looking for something with a profound anti-inflammatory effect you can get more out of high potency CBD(Cannabidiol) than from high potency steroids. Side effects are generally less with the CBD, although it's exponentially more expensive.
golemotron 9y ago
What are the interventions?
- hh3k0 9y ago
  As Cian pointed out: high-dose steroids.
  - Filligree 9y ago
    Why do they help?
    - meganibla 9y ago
      Prevent Inflammation of course.
    - acjohnson55 9y ago
      I don't know if it's conclusively known, other than inflammation in response to the injury tends to exacerbate the damage to the inner ear. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0012465/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0012465/
      - phkahler 9y ago
        A friends daughter got a brain injury from a car-pedestrian accident. He learned a lot, and told me his take away: If you hit your head and have any concern about it, take Ibuprofen to prevent swelling/inflamation and drive to Ann Arbor (we're in Michigan but that's over an hour away). The first part made sense, the second he said that town and UofM are known for treating that kind of thing. He has them in such high regard that it's worth the drive not even knowing who you're going to see ahead of time!?!?!?
        hh3k0 9y ago
        Hm -- the website of Mayo Clinic says that you should avoid Ibuprofen if you might have a concussion, as they may increase the risk of bleeding. "Avoid other pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and aspirin, as these medications may increase the risk of bleeding." See: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355600 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/di...
ryandrake 9y ago
It’s often a cost/risk trade off. A lot of things do fix themselves with time and if you default to going right to the doctor every time you’re injured or feel sick it’s going to cost a fortune, unless you have some kind of gold plated insurance. Some things have to be looked at right away, but for some things it’s unnecessary, and it can pay to wait it out. (of course the above reasoning is pretty specific to the USA— could be different for people in more civilized places)
- astura 9y ago
  It's not even a cost, I have free healthcare through the military and I hesitate to visit doctors. First off, 99% of the time whatever it is fixes itself with time. Going to the doctor requires lots of time and effort, outside urgent care or the ER you're going to have to be going during the workday. Then they might refer you to other doctors and each one wants more and more of your time. I know a guy who goes to the doctor every time he has a viral infection to get antibiotics. Then he has to go back for different antibiotics because he doesn't feel better right away. That seems like a lot of effort when the alternative is doing nothing for the same outcome. The other big issue I have with doctors, I don't know if they are going to prescribe me some bullshit because the real treatment is "you'll get better with time" or the real answer is "there's nothing we can do about that." Or, much worse, something that they believe will help you but is not evidence based. Before you get upset - I once had an MD refer me to a (licensed) physical therapist for craniosacral therapy (complete woo) which billed it to my insurance as something like "physical manipulations." It's also just how I was raised, when I grew up, my parents would say "we'll see if it gets better," and it always did. When I grew up and starting visiting the doctor for things at the advice of others it didn't improve my health outcomes yet significantly increased my annoyance level.
  - eaandkw2 9y ago
    Going to war in Iraq a few times I have heard and experienced a lot of loud sounds. Being about 20m away from the impact of a 105mm canon from an AC-130 was pretty loud. Being right next to a M1 Abrams was probably the worst. A Marine near me actually had a collapsed lung from being in the blast zone. I also RSO’d for a range that shot off 41 SMAW rockets. I had a bad headache for a couple of days after that. Then there was that time that I parked my LAV-25 about 100m from an artillery battery right before they fired a mission where they had to be using a charge 8 or something because a kept losing my train of thought for a minute or so every time they fired a volley. And yes my hearing is pretty bad now. Hopefully I can get hearing aid later on. Edit: changed ear plugs to hearing aid.
jorde 9y ago
Dortor specialized in hearing loss told me to "overdose" on vitamin C as high levels apparently raise blood pressure and thus lead to more blood flow in ears which should help on the recovery of the hairs. There's also pressure tank treatment but I doubt one would get access to one in time. And time is at essence when it comes to hearing loss.

draw_down 9y ago

I’m always suspicious of the hasty calculations and assumptions made in such a fashion, but that is indeed pretty surprising.

emodendroket 9y ago

This is a neat story, but I continue to wonder why people use "tweetstorms" to write long-form stuff like that.

lkrubner 9y ago
I wonder about that too. It seems like they could write a blog post somewhere else, like Blogger or Tumblr or their own blog, and then link to it from Twitter? That was how Twitter first came into existence, was to link to content that was elsewhere. Perhaps the author feels they would lose their audience if they tried to send people elsewhere? That would be somewhat ironic, if we got to the point where people were unwilling to follow links from Twitter, to other sources of content. (I'll refrain from making a joke about all the Russian bots that really have nothing better to do.)
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  Probably, it's observed behavior that people that will read a tweetstorm won't follow a link to an external source.
sparkzilla 9y ago
I actually thought it was easier to read in this form. I can't be bothered with articles that have too much padding.
- emodendroket 9y ago
  I think I like features like "paragraphs" that are not possible in this form.
  - evan_ 9y ago
    People can and do use line breaks in tweets, but if you think of each tweet as a paragraph it makes sense too.
    - 9y ago

stevespang 9y ago

OMG, now you just released a "national security threat" into the wild. No doubt Cuban / Russian spys will reading your story and incorporating this into their schemes near our Cuban embassy !

Keverw 9y ago

That's insane! Never would of thought it would mess with your hearing. I figured just a nasty mess to clean up. Our toilet seems like it wants to run every so often but usually wiggling the lever helps. I hate lifting that thing up, always imagine what a mess it would be if you dropped it. I wish they made the tank lids out of plastic.

lsaferite 9y ago
You could go the wall-mount toilet rout like you find in Europe. The only ceramic there is the bowl itself. https://www.homedepot.com/p/300820608 https://www.homedepot.com/p/300820608
- krupan 9y ago
  That looks much harder to get into the tank to fix things. Is it?
  - LaGrange 9y ago
    I thought so too when these started to get common, but for one reason or another I _never_ had to fix one of these in like 15 years I've lived with them, compared to the almost regular maintenance the old stuff required.
    - rootusrootus 9y ago
      I think the 'regular' style toilet tanks only require more frequent maintenance because they're inexpensive and people use crappy home store parts in them. You can buy five regular old toilets for the price of that wall-mount Toto. My policy is to use high quality parts in the tank and I've found it pays dividends -- it's been years since I've had to do any maintenance on any of our toilets aside from cleaning.
      - astura 9y ago
        I'm almost 40 and so far there has been only once in my life I had to do maintenance on a toilet, and I've always had "regular" ones. It was to replace a gasket.

bambax 9y ago

When I fix things in my house I usually wear ear muffs -- and gloves. Not sure I would have, just for tinkering with the toilet tank, but I will now! (It's amazing how many things can go wrong and hurt you.)

legohead 9y ago
And goggles of course!

nonamenoslogan 9y ago

truculation 9y ago

Remember yesterday's 'caloric restriction' supplement? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16717935 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16717935 Turns out it might also help with noise-induced hearing loss: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286408.php https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286408.php >Additionally, the team found that NR was equally effective when given both before or after the mice were exposed to the noise.

fwdpropaganda 9y ago

Damn, this is one smart plumber.

LukeShu 9y ago
Dr. Philip Metzger is a planetary physicist who recently retired from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he co-founded the KSC Swamp Works. He now is now at the University of Central Florida -- but still a part of the Swamp Works team -- his website
- fwdpropaganda 9y ago
  Jesus Christ, so they don't pay him enough and he's fixing toilets on the side?
  - ed_balls 9y ago
    I do stuff like this because: - I like fixing stuff - It would take longer to call someone and be in home while he is fixing it.
  - faitswulff 9y ago
    It's-a-me, Dr. Mario!
  - monochromatic 9y ago
    When I come home from a day of working at a computer, I like the opportunity to use my hands. Fixing or building stuff is fun.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - lotsofpulp 9y ago
    Fixing a toilet is dead simple, as are most household tasks. Either you'd have to be very rich to not have it be worth 1 hour of your time, since a plumber will surely be $100 at least, or you can't be bothered to watch a couple short videos on youtube.

acjohnson55 9y ago

I wonder if another issue is that the hard surfaces of the typical bathroom would make the energy reflect more before dissipating. Even worse if the dimensions of the bathroom lead to resonances with 3.5kHz. Bathrooms are famously reflective, producing the reverberation that makes shower singing sound palatable.

simooooo 9y ago
Wonder if that applies to kitchens too.. Last time a thick mug bounced off a casserole dish and was left holding my ears wondering how the F it could be so loud

chrisper 9y ago

How long until California requires a warning on every toilet and restroom? (Yes, yes I'm joking)

0xfaded 9y ago

I have mild tinnitus in one ear, from what I suspect was a friend screaming into my ear that she was going to the bathroom at a noisy club. I'm relatively lucky, my hearing is still better than most, but it does suck. I've decided I will never go to another club, and in bars I wear ear plugs. I have more to lose, since any additional damage will likely make my tinnitus more severe. Seriously though, hearing is one of those things you don't think about until it's too late. Protect your ears.

symfoniq 9y ago
This can also happen when holding your upset child and they scream near your ear. Be careful, parents!
- _sdegutis 9y ago
  Never got tinnitus from it but it does make me lose balance fast.
  - dvtv75 9y ago
    I have the balance problem, too. A hearing specialist suggested that one of the bones in my ear was made of a spongy material rather than bone, which can cause it.
- sthlm 9y ago
  I can attest to that, my newborn at the time screamed into my ear unexpectedly loud and my hearing was affected for a few days.
- celticninja 9y ago
  Yup have occasional tinnitus in my left ear from one of my children screaming in it while I was holding them.
flyinglizard 9y ago
I get to visit clubs/shows every few months and I always use a pair of musician earplugs, (Etymotic, standard - not custom fitted). It gives a nice and even attenuation, which after few minutes you don't even notice (other than perhaps slightly elevating very low frequencies relative to the rest). Your mind is very quick to normalize the volume level anyway, no matter if you're with or without protection. Why suffer permanent damage then?

cfv 9y ago

Super interesting reading!

maj0rhn 9y ago

An unmentioned physiological consideration, remembered from a lecture long ago... The rapid onset of the sound is an important factor. The ear has muscular reflexes that lessen the damage of loud sounds, but only if the onset of the sound takes longer than the time it takes the reflex to kick in. The toilet tank sound probably had onset approaching that of a square wave, so this neatly evaded the reflex. Evolutionarily, one can understand why there was no need to protect the ear from loud rapid-onset sounds... those sounds don't exist widely in nature, e.g. a roaring waterfall roars continuously. Someone could smash two rocks together right next to your ear, but the fact that the rocks didn't smash your cranium is perhaps more important. :-)

inferiorhuman 9y ago
To that end, Mercedes-Benz is playing around with technology to create a loud noise before the airbags deploy in a crash. The ideas is that by triggering this loud noise reflex, the ear will protect itself from the louder noises of airbag deployments.
- slhck 9y ago
  Link for those interested: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/next/connectivity/pre-safe-sound-playing-pink-noise-in-the-split-second-before-impact/ https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/next/connecti... > If an impending collision is detected, the vehicle’s sound system plays a short interference signal, which can trigger a reflex, whereby the stapedius muscle in the ears contracts, which alters the link between the eardrum and the inner ear for a split second and better protects the inner ear against high acoustic pressures, which can result from a loud crash.
- eeZah7Ux 9y ago
  Various cars have that already.
  - inferiorhuman 9y ago
    Such as?

tnorthcutt 9y ago

Tank lid, or bowl lid? The author repeatedly switches between the two.

Hydraulix989 9y ago
Pretty sure it's the tank lid.
sah2ed 9y ago
Tank lid: > "I was fixing the mechanism inside the tank of the toilet. The only thing left to do was to put the ceramic lid back on the tank. Unfortunately it slipped out of my hands and banged on the ceramic of the toilet rim." I'm guessing every other occurrence of "toilet bowl lid" is a typo due to the medium being Twitter.
- adrianmonk 9y ago
  Or the tank lid slipped and hit the bowl. That's not where it's supposed to go, but gravity might take it there anyway if you fail to get it on top of the tank.
Yizahi 9y ago
Tanks are usually very loud, so probably it.

fragsworth 9y ago

My hearing was ACTUALLY permanently damaged when a sticky iron weight fell on a leg press machine at a 24-hour fitness about 5 years ago. The weights looked like these: http://www.presentationzen.com/.a/6a00d83451b64669e201156eb409b4970c-450wi http://www.presentationzen.com/.a/6a00d83451b64669e201156eb4... One extra weight slab was "stuck" to the group that was supposed to get lifted. It was stuck because the weights at the gym were grimy from many years of use without being cleaned. The extra slab, when it reached the top, finally detached and slid down maybe 20-30 inches, and made a sound that everyone in the gym heard, but right next to my ear. A few people even made angry faces at me for being a noisy lifter. Ever since then, to this day, I have had tinnitus in that ear, and many sounds come in like "static", for lack of a better explanation. All I can say is be careful with those weights if they get sticky, and if they are near your ear...

Exuma 9y ago
Jesus, this entire post is terrifying.
jclos 9y ago
I already thought the leg press machine was a death trap, but you managed to give me another reason to dislike it. I think I'll stick to squatting.
- komali2 9y ago
  Ever since that video where the girl's legs go chicken style so very slowly while she screams, I've been scared as shit to get on that thing.
  - rubicon33 9y ago
    uhhh... what?
    - felipemnoa 9y ago
      He may be talking about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkf7HP2-pr8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkf7HP2-pr8

cup-of-tea 9y ago

Once when I was camping I decided to try to use a plastic bottle as a pillow. I put my head on it sideways and the plastic made a really loud pop and my ear instantly started ringing really loudly like nothing I've experienced before. I was deaf in that ear for about a minute while it rang and it terrified me. Luckily it went away. More recently something happened to that ear. It started to get water in it every day then stopped getting water in it but now I have tinnitus in that ear. Ears are extremely sensitive and it doesn't take much to damage them.

ehnto 9y ago
You may have a sticky wax or otherwise blocked ear that was trapping the water. Wax or other buildup in the ear can cause tinnitus (and of course attenuated hearing, ranging from imperceptible to completely muffled). It would be worth going to see a doctor and get them to check inside your ears. You certainly wouldn't want to spend weeks thinking you had permanent tinnitus or hearing loss when it could be as simple as an ear flush. I can tell you that from experience.

calebm 9y ago

Great and to-the-point analysis.

abakker 9y ago

I work a lot in a wood shop/metal shop. I’ve always been a big proponent of ear protection. Recently, I’ve been using shure in ear monitors for blocking small sounds and supplementing with ear muffs when real tools are on. However, I’ve started to just wear those in ear monitors around even without listening to anything. The ear plug feature is actually really great. I can get on muni or bart in the Bay Area with them and listen to a book at 3-4 clicks of iPhone volume. It’s pretty great to get used to things being quiet.

jads 9y ago
I've tried Shure (and other) earphones like this before, but could never stand the rustling of cable noise. Does that bother you at all, or do you have any recommendations for stopping it? I've tried shirt clips and cable loops, but nothing ever worked. For now, I use either over-ear noise canceling headphones or just AirPods.
- leetcrew 9y ago
  if i understand correctly, the noise is caused by physical vibrations (as opposed to electrical waves) propagating up the cables. i think it's basically insoluble for earbuds/iems.
  - owlsaway 9y ago
    Microphonics!^[1] This is why you'll see IEMs designed with the cable going up and around your ear, rather than straight down. [1]: http://ear-buds.org/microphonics-and-how-it-affects-your-earbuds/ http://ear-buds.org/microphonics-and-how-it-affects-your-ear... (I have no idea how sourcing things works here. Hopefully I did it right?)
    - rocqua 9y ago
      Pretty close to how most people source. You can just leave out the ^ it's just an inline [1], [2] etc. There are now hard and fast rules though, it's just common practice. I think this is essentially people copying the ACM reference style.

trott 9y ago

> This predicts 138 dB of sound. I doubt that one can calculate the sound amplitude accurately without doing experiments or complex simulations here. It's possible that the toilet bowl or lid focused the sound like a satellite dish, and the protagonist's ear was in the exact wrong place at the wrong time. Visual aid: https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/energy/in-pictures-new-wave-of-tidal-energy-research-as-wave-tank-opens-in-edinburgh/ https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/energy/in-pictures-new-wave...

Zitrax 9y ago
Which is also mentioned in the article: "This lid was concave up like an antenna, near my face when it hit, focusing the energy into my face."
- trott 9y ago
  Thanks. The spherical wave assumption used in the calculation is not compatible with the focusing effect, and could be wildly wrong in this case.

macintux 9y ago

I very recently thought I might have permanently damaged my eyesight. I was working from a library, and stood to start closing up for the day. As I started to close my laptop, the screen (hi, glossy MacBook Pro) directly reflected the sun behind me. For the next 15-20 minutes a significant portion of my vision in both eyes was wavy. I could still safely drive home, thankfully, but it was a severe distraction. While I expected it to eventually clear up, it struck home how fragile my career is. (I know it's possible to be a blind software developer, but I'm not sure I could afford to take the short-term hit, assuming my employer wouldn't pay me to spend months relearning how to live and work.)

cschneid 9y ago
My biggest fear right now as a developer is losing the ability to work due to an injury. I recently bought long-term disability insurance, which is expensive for sure, but makes me feel so much safer. (what I got - after 6 months of self-covered disability, it'd pay a significant amount every month until age 65) My main worry is falling while biking or skiing, and knocking my head. But now I'm worried about eyesight, and my hands, and everything else around the modern world.
- kirse 9y ago
  Max out the LTD insurance and enjoy life. I ride a motorcycle, there's only so much you can control in life. If you're that concerned about the chance of freak-odds events happening in your life, you might as well be buying lottery tickets too. I know a dev who is paralyzed and types/codes (quite well, too) with a pen attached to his forehead, you'd find a way to adapt.
  - cschneid 9y ago
    For sure, I took up skiing this year (I'm so bad at it, but it's so fun). In no way is what I said meant to be "Crippling worry that affects my life". More of a rational: "this is the most likely way I get really screwed, so I bought insurance"
- DenisM 9y ago

rdiddly 9y ago

A rubber gasket on the tank lid would be nice. Quieter when placing it, and probably quieter when the tank is filling.

gowld 9y ago
Also less likely to shatter when placing it, which is the primary cause of needing a whole new toilet.

mrob 9y ago

Another possible source of unexpected extremely loud noises: cleaning things with compressed air. If you blow it through a small orifice of the right dimensions then it can act as a whistle. The energy will be concentrated at one frequency, and compressed air generally blows a lot harder than lung power. I first heard of this from a Youtube video, possibly from one of AvE's, although it could have been from somebody else's.

hollander 9y ago
Buses with air brakes can cause very loud sudden noises. If they pass right beside you, you can only hope it won't cause any damage.
dvtv75 9y ago
I bought a compressor a couple of years ago, and good grief is that thing noisy. I always wearing hearing and eye protection when using it, and I'm glad for it. First time I tested the emergency release valve, I didn't know which direction it would release the air. If I hadn't been wearing safety glasses, I could have lost my eyes as it released directly into my face. I now have a rule of not allowing anybody in the workshop with me while using it, if they're not wearing both hearing and eye protection.

logingone 9y ago

In the UK employers have to provide eye test vouchers for employees who use screen display equipment. I keep thinking that if the government knew anything about dev environments they'd be providing us with free hearing tests instead.

icebraining 9y ago
I don't get it, why?

dayjah 9y ago

Now we’ll have stickers saying: “These toilet lids are known to cause deafness in the State of California”... </s>

robinduckett 9y ago

The word you're looking for is cistern. Other related parts of a toilet, include the ballcock, a name which I find particularly amusing.

11thEarlOfMar 9y ago

I once completely lost the hearing in my right ear. It was muted one day and completely deaf the next. I made an urgent appointment with my doctor and he said, "It's a virus, you're hearing will return in a week." I said, AYFKM? No, he wasn't kidding me. A week later, it returned in full.

biggieshellz 9y ago
You got really lucky. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (what you had) is often permanent.

abalone 9y ago

Apart from all the good discussion on hearing loss... now I’m thinking about “safer” toilets. Why are lids made from ceramic anyway? I get why the bowl is, but the lid? Beyond the loudness / hearing loss issue, it’s just so darn heavy!

scarlac 9y ago
> Why are lids made from ceramic anyway? Could be because of production reasons. Easier to get it produced in the same place than to coordinate shipping to another place and assembly.
- abalone 9y ago
  But they're heavier and more expensive to ship. I doubt it's that hard to make matching lids to spec. The industry makes matching toilet seats separately, after all. It must have something to do with the material. A thread on Reddit suggests a couple possibilities:[1] - porcelain in more anti-bacterial than plastic (is that true??) - a heavy lid offers more sonic insulation of the rather loud hydraulic mechanism (this seems plausible) Man, I did not plan on getting obsessed with toilet lids today. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29o5nz/eli5why_are_toilets_made_of_ceramic_instead_of/ https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/29o5nz/e...
Johnny555 9y ago
Probably the same reason the rest of the toilet is -- it's strong, durable, scratch resistant, doesn't degrade with age (toilets can last for decades, my parent's toilet is original with the house, so is 40+ years old), and is easy to clean. It's heavy enough to not need any fastening mechanism to keep it on. And it perfectly matches the rest of the toilet, so you don't end up with a yellowed plastic lid on your bright white ceramic toilet.
- abalone 9y ago
  > Probably the same reason the rest of the toilet is Not all of the toilet is ceramic/porcelain. Seats are typically made of durable plastic and are designed to be replaced every decade or so. A plastic lid would probably last much longer. > ...and is easy to clean A lightweight lid would be easier to clean.

coupdejarnac 9y ago

I've made a few free iOS apps for tinnitus, if anyone wants to try. They use masking therapy, so while not a permanent fix, they might help a little. https://bxtel.com/serene.html https://bxtel.com/serene.html

jjw1414 9y ago

I wouldn't make this up even I could. I am LITERALLY fixing the toilet mechanism with the tank lid off and checked HN while waiting for a hot glue gun to heat up. I'm thinking Pulp Fiction divine intervention.

ehsankia 9y ago
I guess we take it as a given since no one here is talking about it, but why does the toilet lid need to be so overly heavy? Is there any specific functionality that requires it to be out of that material and so big?
- THE_PUN_STOPS 9y ago
  Maybe it's extra material to quiet the otherwise annoying sound of the refill after every flush? (since the tank functions a bit like a loudspeaker pointed up) If so, a bit ironic in the context of this post.
- jjw1414 9y ago
  Just a guess, but because the base of the toilet needs to support users of all body weights, a sturdy material like porcelain (or clay) is used. The tank lid is likely poured and fired at the same time as the base so that they match. Agreed that it makes for a darn heavy obstacle to get at the mechanism. And to all who have posted about having tinnitus, I feel your pain. My left ear has been affected for two years now and I've had to learn to live with it. I hope you all fare better.
- jcl 9y ago
  I assume that toilet lids are ceramic to have the same durability and antiseptic properties as the rest of the toilet, and that they are made thick enough to not break if dropped. There are probably other materials that would also work, though... I'd expect any material used for toilet seat lids (plastic, or coated wood composite) satisfies similar constraints. Incidentally, ceramic can become razor-sharp when broken, so the article's suggestion of making lids easier to break carries its own set of risks.
- zaat 9y ago

cbanek 9y ago

One other interesting point that could come up but wasn't in the calculations is the reflection of the sound of the toilet tank lid hitting the tank. Most toilets are put into little nooks with just a few open inches between the toilet and the wall it backs up to, and maybe a foot on either side of the toilet, making a little alcove. Sound will reflect off the walls rather than dissipating in all directions, which is effectively bringing you closer to the source of the sound, or making it louder.

TipVFL 9y ago

Tangentially related, I just suffered hearing loss from a completely unexpected source. After discontinuing anti-depressants I developed fairly intense tinnitus in both ears, and after 3 months it hasn't gotten any better. It's bad enough that I can't sleep at night without music playing fairly loud (loud for night, probably a pretty normal volume for music listening). I researched and discovered that it's a known, somewhat common side effect, and it may be permanent. I count myself as a bit lucky, since it sometimes causes permanent deafness. I'm pretty sure if my doctor had mentioned the possibility of going deaf, I would have chosen a different treatment.

howard941 9y ago
Which medication?
- TipVFL 9y ago
  Remeron, also known as mirtazapine.
  - howard941 9y ago
    Thank you for the data point. My psych offered that for consideration as a replacement for anxiety-inducing Effexor XR / Venlafaxine. I will explore alternatives.

aylons 9y ago

More than a decade ago, when I started listening to podcasts during commuting, I was worried I was cranking the volume too high to compensate fot external noise - trains, buses, traffic, etc. So, I decided to buy a Shure sound-isolating phone. These are monitors for musicians in stage to hear to what they are doing while avoiding the extreme PA towers next to them. They're expensive, but high-quality and isolate noise VERY well. Before, I listened to the podcasts at literally eleven or more (sounds like a joke, but that crappy MP3 player went from 1 to 12 or 15). After that, I listened at level 2, and even when the podcasts were over I left the earphones for ear comfort and protection. Sadly, the model I had did not had replaceable cables and eventually, the cable worn out. Now I'm back to JBL earphone, which does help a little bit, but nowhere as near a Shure monitor. After reading OP and the comments, I'm considering spending the extra money on a monitor again.

djmips 9y ago
Why not fix the cable yourself? Sounds worth it.
- aylons 9y ago
  It broke in the input for the phone housing. Very hard fix. I'm very experienced with soldering, but a bit clumsy with mechanical details. I tried, and actually fixed the cable, but the phone housing never quite fit well again. Also, I decided after this to only go with bluetooth phones. Detachable-cable Shure phones have bluetooth options and I'm going with it as soon as I have the money.
defterGoose 9y ago
Highly recommend upgrading. I had three pairs of E3s back in the mid noughts. Cable went out twice, was replaced twice by Shure under warranty over several years. I bought the se425 a couple years later and they are probably the finest value headphones I've ever owned (versatile, dynamic, accurate, quiet) compared to RS1s and HD600s, and the replaceable cord is undeniably elegant
- 9y ago

PeterStuer 9y ago

I actually got tinnitus from a Toshiba laptop 2,5" hard drive. The high pitched noise it made got worse gradually over time. By the time I realized it, it was too late.

ryanmarsh 9y ago

I have some hearing damage from IED’s, small arms fire, and such. I’m concerned about further hearing damage but what really terrifies me is Tinnitus. The stories I’ve read are scary. People turning drugs to make the sounds stop. I already hear nearly constant brown noise. I can’t imagine what a high pitched sound would do to me. Glad the author was ok.

dvtv75 9y ago
As someone who's had it for.. what, 37 years, let me tell you that you shouldn't let it terrify you. You can train yourself to ignore the sound. Doesn't mean you don't hear it, just that you won't pay attention to it most of the time. When properly trained, it's little more than an irritation. I'm more terrified of arthritis than I am of tinnitus.

kjdsiheioahef 9y ago

Unless you have experienced long term severe tinnitus + hyperacusis + hearing loss, it's impossible to understand how much such a combination reduces quality of life. Sorry you have to go through this, OP.

nate_meurer 9y ago

A little PSA: there is some evidence that magnesium can help prevent/cure acute noise-induced hearing loss. Google returns several reputable studies. Also: earplugs, earplugs, earplugs. I keep foam earplugs on me at all times. I have some in my fifth pants pocket, I keep some in a pill container on my keyring, some in my backpack, in my car, etc. I cut them in half; the half size fits easier and takes up less space, and the slightly lower sound attenuation is actually more useful for me in most circumstances. I go through a lot of ear plugs this way, and a few years ago I realized that some of them degrade over time such that they become roughly half as effective. The closed cell foam seems to wear out somehow. I started wearing these degraded plugs more and more often, to the point that I now wear them most of the time. Always when I'm out of the house, and most of the time at home as well. They can be cleaned by soaking in alcohol. Alcohol works well on ears too, but most people's ears need no or very sparse cleaning. I've worn these low-performance earplugs nearly non-stop for years now and my hearing has recovered some of the sensitivity of my youth. When I started leaving them in all the time I was a bit like an elderly person, asking people to repeat themselves frequently. This went away as my sensitivity improved, and after maybe six months my plugged hearing was as good as my formerly unplugged hearing. Now I kinda feel naked without them. If I'm doing something loud, like working on a table saw, I'll put in fresh ear plugs, or wear extra protection like muffs.

JohnJamesRambo 9y ago
This is one of the weirder things I’ve ever read here and I read a lot of strange behaviors here. You wear earplugs full time man, that’s not normal, you are missing out on unimpeded hearing due to a fear of hearing loss that likely is not based on science. Normal level sounds don’t degrade hearing as far as I know and loud sounds aren’t that common, certainly not enough to warrant wearing earplugs full time. https://www.american-hearing.org/disorders/noise-induced-hearing-loss/#intensity https://www.american-hearing.org/disorders/noise-induced-hea... You could expose yourself to 8 hours a day of a lawnmower at 90 dB and 90% of the population would be fine.
- matte_black 9y ago
  It’s not that strange. I wear earplugs (although they are low profile hidden ones) if I’m going to a loud venue, such as a really loud bar, or club, or a concert. It increases my enjoyment of these places and also makes it easier to have conversations with people.

jk2323 9y ago

In the second World War, the tank of my uncle took a full hit on the turret while fighting the Russians and he was the only survivor. Tell him about bad hearing after bleeding out of both ears. :-)

amelius 9y ago

Related: birds have the ability to regrow sensory hair cells in the ears after they have become damaged, [1]. Perhaps someday we'll be able to transfer this ability to humans. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17891722 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17891722

emmelaich 9y ago

This story would be even greater with diagrams / animations.

protomyth 9y ago

A safer toilet bowl lid (!) should bust apart on impact, using up the energy by breaking molecular bonds. Please, no. We don't need to substitute one injury type for another. I can only imagine the cuts that would result from a lid that breaks. A plastic or rubber liner on the top of the toilet tank would be sufficient.

ccajas 9y ago

I very much believe that story. Damn ceramic made objects, they are loud af. A lot of ceramics have this peculiar property that puts them very high up on "noise to impact" ratio, or whatever you want to call it. I remember my mom always complaining about not damaging plates because you can accidentally drop it from one inch and hear an unpleasant clattering. Because the sound it makes you'd think it fell much higher than that.

EamonnMR 9y ago

I once toasted a bread roll with a very round upper surface. It was very hard, and I was curious about breaking it. So I whacked it with a spoon and instantly all sound in the ear facing it was replaced by a ringing which faded slowly away over the next couple of minutes.

llsf 9y ago

This toilet lid clearly messed with the wrong guy !

rosstex 9y ago

I have a lot of earwax build-up, so whenever I wear earplugs they stick out stupidly. But this thread has scared me to death, so I think I'll keep on using them.

verisimilitude 9y ago
Oh oh I have something to help you! I used to struggle with them sticking out, too -- but since I watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S6dthcSVIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S6dthcSVIM I can pop them in and you can't even see them when you're looking at me head-on. You _have_ to use two hands to put them in -- pulling up on the ear is essential. The roll-down information is helpful, too. Now, I can yawn and move my jaw every which way and the seal is never broken. Actually changed my life, since I wear earplugs for most of the night and a lot of the day.
- rosstex 9y ago
  Thanks for your reply, I'll try this! Anything to look less foolish.

oblib 9y ago

I did a lot of metal work when I was young, hammering and grinding steel. I have tinnitus in both ears. Ginko Biloba does a good job of getting rid of it. I have to take it daily or it comes back, and it takes a few days for it to start working, but it sure is nice to get rid of it.

miko1293949 9y ago

> Beef has an outsize environmental footprint. Per gram of protein, beef requires on average 50 times more land and produces 100 times more greenhouse gases than do beans and other plant-based proteins. Replacing 30% of the beef with mushrooms in the roughly 10 billion burgers that Americans eat each year would reduce emissions equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road, according to the World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank in Washington DC. How do they make this calculations? Is it a proper way to present scientific data on the best scenice journal in the world?

vollmond 9y ago
You seem to be on the wrong thread, fyi.

goldenkey 9y ago

On a related note, a fun fact: the sound of the Saturn V rocket taking off would instantly vaporize anyone close enough. This is also true for the recently launched SpaceX Falcon assembly / Merlin rockets.