Researchers in Britain led by acoustic engineering professor Trevor Cox, have spent the past year trying to identify the worst sound in the world. I am shocked that my two-year-old's endless "Nnnnnno! I can do it mySELF!" rantings didn't take top honors. In fact, it didn't even rank.
The top prize actually went to the sound of a person vomiting (realistically recreated by slopping diluted baked beans into a bucket). Second place went to microphone feedback, with crying babies rounding out the top three.
Top 10 Worst Sounds in the World
1. Vomiting
2. Microphone feedback
3. Wailing babies
4. Train scraping on tracks
5. Squeaky seesaw
6. Poorly played violin
7. Whoopee cushion
8. Argument in a soap opera
9. Mains hum
10. Tasmanian devil
(I'm telling you, "whining two-year-old" should at least be above whoopee cushion. And how come "poo-splosion" is nowhere on the list?)
If you care to listen to the worst sounds in the world yourself (or with your family), slap on your headphones (for maxiumum enjoyment), and click here.
[via The Guardian]
