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Jim Hudspeth: How Do We Hear — And How Do We Lose Our Ability To Hear?

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode Sound And Silence

Over 30 million people in the U.S. have hearing loss. Neuroscientist Jim Hudspeth explains how the ear's thousands of hair cells function to amplify sound—and how they can be damaged but not repaired.

About Jim Hudspeth

Jim Hudspeth is a professor of sensory neuroscience at The Rockefeller University and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, where he studiesthe neural mechanisms of hearing and pursues treatments for hearing loss. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Among his numerous awards, he received the 2018 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Hudspeth received his Ph.D and M.D., as well as his B.A. and M.A., from Harvard University.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Maria Paz Gutiérrez and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Sanaz Meshkinpour