Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The One and Only

This unusual little article I read told me two things -- one I knew, and one I didn't.

First, what I didn't know. There is a condition called "phonagnosia," which prevents a person from being able to distinguish between different people's voices. It ordinarily affects only stroke victims, but this article documents a case of a woman who appears to have been born with the condition. If you stop and think about all the conversations you have in a day where you're not actually seeing the person with whom you're conversing, it seems like a rather unfortunate condition.

Secondly, what I did know. Nobody sounds quite like Sean Connery. (Well, unless the person is doing a Sean Connery impression.) It seems the woman with phonagnosia is able to distinguish one voice -- that of the first James Bond. You've got one voice in all the world you can recognize. Why not Sean Connery?

7 comments:

  1. I have talked to others about this and I think that being able to tell Morgan Freeman's voice from others would be more practical.

    If I had to choose one voice, it would b Morgan Freeman's.

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  4. I pity the person WHOSE(!) world sounds like only John Madden.

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  5. If he was still around, I'd take Don LaFontaine. "In a world where there's only one voice you recognize, be damn happy that it's mine."

    I could do that. ;-)

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