What are the five most annoying sounds in the world according to science?

Two studies published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2008, 2012) examined the responses of multiple groups of students at Newcastle University who listened to preselected groups of different sounds. The students’ responses were used to determine the most annoying sounds in the world for human beings – the top five of which are presented in this exhibition.

Originally our Summer 2020 Blockbuster Exhibition, due to popular demand we have now made The 5 Most Annoying Sounds In The World a permanent exhibition – which means you can visit it at any time!

Each of the five most annoying sounds is an example of a gride: a grating, grinding, or scraping noise. These types of sounds have been the subject of previous studies of annoyance, but in the 2008 study they were, for the first time, intermixed with other types of sounds including human and animal vocalisations, weather sounds, musical instruments, and machines. The griding sounds proved once again to be the most annoying sounds of the bunch.

Human reactions of annoyance to sounds is thought to be controlled by the amygdalae, two small, acorn-shaped clusters of nuclei, one located in each hemisphere of the brains of humans and other mammals. The amygdalae communicate with other portions of the brain to form emotional responses and memories, but are also believed to be involved in a surprising number of other experiences such as anxiety, social interaction, sexual orientation, alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even political orientation.

Our exhibition presents the five most annoying sounds in the world – the same recordings used in the studies – each played over and over again for exactly one minute, beginning with the least annoying and ending with the scientifically determined Most Annoying Sound in the World.

What are they?

5. Fingernails on a blackboard

4. A ruler scraped along a glass bottle

3. Chalk screeching across a blackboard

2. A fork rubbed against a drinking glass

1. A knife rubbed against a glass bottle

Can you pass this test of endurance? Can you make it through listening to all five sounds for a full minute each?

Can you #SurviveAllFive?

This exhibition is FREE with standard museum admission!

Check out some Actual Visitor Reactions:

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While you’re here…

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