Bimodal Sound Localization & Auditory Delay Lab
A challenging, hands-on discovery and STEM project designed for curious young minds aged 10 to 14.
Materials Needed
- • Clear flexible vinyl tubing or garden hose (approx. 3 meters) (1 piece)
- • Small plastic kitchen funnels (2 units)
- • Cloth blindfold (1 unit)
- • Metal spoon for tapping (1 unit)
Pro Tips
- → Insert a funnel into both ends of a long garden hose, with your child holding a funnel over each ear like headphones.
- → Tap the hose off-center: sound reaches the closer ear a few milliseconds earlier, tricking the brain into locating the sound in that direction.
- → Cross the hose behind the child’s back so the left funnel feeds into the right ear; tapping on the left side will trick the brain into hearing it on the right.
Safety First
Do not yell directly into the funnels when connected to a partner's ears.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Insert a plastic funnel into each end of a 3-meter length of flexible garden hose or clear vinyl tubing.
Step 2
Blindfold your child and have them hold one funnel over their left ear and the other over their right ear.
Step 3
Lightly tap the hose with a metal spoon at different points along its length, having the child point toward the side where the sound arrives first.
Step 4
Cross the hose behind their back so the left funnel feeds into the right ear and repeat, observing how the brain's auditory processing is fooled.