Richard Rabbitt, University of Utah (2 of 3) (IMAGE)
Caption
Using an elaborate apparatus to study the inner-ear cells of the oyster toadfish (in clear plastic container, lower right), University of Utah bioengineering professor Richard Rabbitt found that infrared light similar to those in laser pointers -- but at a longer and invisible wavelength -- can make inner-ear "hair cells" send signals to adjacent nerve cells and then to the brain. The discovery could lead to better cochlear implants that would use infrared light rather than electrical signals to represent sounds, allowing deaf people to hear a much wider ranger of frequencies than in existing electrical implants.
Credit
Lee Siegel, University of Utah.
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