Specialists in acoustics of the Federal National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have recently completed the most largest national study on hearing ability in US. The outcome was: black people hear better than white, Hispanic or Asian races.

The experiment consisted in testing hearing abilities of more than 5000 persons that wore headphones and should press a button when hearing a tone. The test lasted from 10 up to 20 minutes and registered the frequency and loudness level in every participant.

It seems that the main biological feature black people have to win the hearing "contest" over other races relates to melanin, a skin pigment that gives the color of the epidermis. The melanin protects the body by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sunlight during exposure. UV radiation can damage the skin and produce skin cancer if not filtered out this way.

The study proved that the amounts of melanin in an individual's body directly influence the hearing loss in time. It does not just offer a protective layer for the skin in that which concerns radiations from UV rays, but also against noise-inducing factors. It works by removing body's harmful chemical compounds caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear.

The research also concluded that women can hear better than men, as boys typically do more noisier activities in the course of their lives than girls. Consequently, the test showed that female subjects were more sensitive to high frequency tones as compared to male subjects.

However, the big surprise for the acoustics experts was to discover that the overall hearing outcomes of the study haven't changed a bit since the last scientific event of the type took place, in 1970. Although losses in the hearing ability were expected as a result of the iPod and Walkman frequent usage by the teenagers, it seems that we are nowadays as capable of sharp sounds perceiving than our elder fellows were.