Changes in the Theory of Hearing

Abstract

Bekesy's traveling wave theory is still propagated in textbooks, on the internet, and at the university level. There are many indications that the theory announced in 1928, corrected and supplemented, still does not meet the requirements of 21st century science. The basic assumptions of this theory dating back to the mid-19th century and announced in 1859 by Helmholtz have not changed. This concerns the hydrodynamics of cochlear fluids, the resonance of the longitudinal wave in the fluid with the transverse wave of the basilar membrane's natural vibrations, the transmission and coding of auditory information by cochlear fluids, and the importance of the basilar membrane in the reception and transmission of information. This theory recognizes the only signal route to the hair cell receptor is through the cochlear fluids and the basilar membrane. In the 1980s, this theory was supplemented with a questionable mechanism for amplifying quiet sounds by 40-50 dB. The mechanism is simple and involves the pulling of the basilar membrane by the contracting outer hair cells. “The submolecular theory of hearing”, a new and modern theory of hearing, does not contain the errors of the previous theory and attempts to explain all hearing mechanisms in accordance with the scientific knowledge of various disciplines of the 21st century. This theory, first announced in 2003, has strong evidence collected from various research centers around the world.

Citation

Jan Myjkowski. Changes in the Theory of Hearing. WebLog J Surg. wjs.2026. g2705. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21734142