The Corpus Callosum

Since I started a little self-disclosure yesterday, I am going to
continue that theme. Very few people know this about me.
The fact is, I have congenital amusia. No, that
does not mean I am “easily amused.” It means I am tone deaf.

A couple of days ago, I heard a piece on NPR. This was one of
those bits where they record people’s stories. The story was
about a woman who said that some old teakettles had harmonica reeds to
make the whistling sound more musical. She was thrilled to
get a teakettle that had three holes in the cap, so that the whistle
was not just a whistle, it was a musical chord.

They played a recording of it. The sound drove me nuts.
It also sounded familiar, because I have a teakettle that
does the same thing. It is an Ikea kettle. The
visual design is wonderful, but the noise is maddening. I had
no idea it is supposed to be pleasant. To me, it sounds like
a fire alarm.

In fact, when I first heard it, I was as bemused as I was annoyed.
How could something with such an elegant
design have such an awful sound?

cellspacing="0" width="100%">

cellspacing="0" width="100%">

href="http://www.ikea.com.sg/products/product_display.asp?id=1377">Kettle

TRUDELUTT

class="lightorange4Bold">$9.90

(Price applies for this product as per description
shown)

src="http://www.ikea.com.sg/images/gray_line.gif" height="3"
width="50">

src="http://www.ikea.com.sg/images/arroworange4x7.gif"
border="0" height="7" width="4"> Whistles
when the water is boiling.

border="0" height="7" width="4"> Aluminum/phenolic
plastic

border="0" height="7" width="4"> Volume:
1.5 l

src="http://www.ikea.com.sg/images/gray_line.gif" height="3"
width="50">

Designer: IKEA of Sweden

height="3" width="50">

Comments

#1 Scott Belyea
March 1, 2007

To me, it sounds like a fire alarm.

Hmmmm … you do know that it is an alarm?? “Take me off the heat and I’ll stop screaming!!”

Sorry … it’s been a long day …
#2 susan
March 1, 2007

Mine has three holes but it never whistles. I’ve almost boiled it to bits on several occasions. If you’ll excuse me, I have to look up “phenolic plastic” now.
#3 Joseph j7uy5
March 1, 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite

Phenol is just benzene with an hydroxyl group stuck on it. It is a chemical that forms the basis for many plastics. Compounds derived from phenol are called phenolics.

Phenolic plastic is plastic that is made using a phenol-type of compound, in which a bunch of little units are strung together.
#4 Janne
March 2, 2007

The name “Trudelutt” means something like “small ditty” or “quick melody” in Swedish. A pretty clear clue (if you know Swedish, of course, but don’t we all?).
#5 stumpy
March 2, 2007

A friend of mine is a super-taster — another congenital type condition — and he can’t stand bell peppers.
#6 pndmnm
March 2, 2007

That’s hilarious — my friend has one of these, and the first time I heard it I absolutely had to get one, I liked the sound so much. It sounds like a foghorn to me.
#7 Martin Price
March 3, 2007

On the subject of amusia, you may be interested in this item from the BBC . Click on Listen again to hear a thirty minute programme on amusia and its ophysical cause.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/frontiers_20061213.shtml
#8 brooke
April 24, 2010

Only nine bucks new? Gee, I just bought this at the Goodwill for seven dollars. What a sucker I am.