Once when i was in a taxi, the driver was attempting to make conversation and asked what I did. I usually try to avoid the subject with some people, because when i say "I study the inner ear" a lot of people feel the need to unload their medical problems regarding earwax upon me. Only half-way through their offering a sample (ugh) can I correct them. Anyway, this cabbie did just that--asking me this and that about earwax. After I said I had no idea, he seemed rather like "Well then what DO you know!" Its even worse when i try to reply that I study hair cells in the ears---invariably this results in ear-hair queries. Its usually pretty amusing, but I've found that trying to explain the inner workings of the cochlea to a Detroit cabbie at 2am is an exercise in futility.
There's a great description of the genetics of earwax over at Discovering Biology today. Did you know that Asians have "hard ear wax" and Europeans have "wet ear wax"? Well there is a genetic reason for this which is quite fascinating (go check it out). This actually confirms an observation I made while in China last year: most of the spas there offer an "ear candle" therapy which involves, well, a waxy candle in the ear which removes built up ear wax. I always thought, 'Ew, who needs that?' but obviously, there's a good scientific reason why some people might.
I'm still not going to try to explain it to cabbies though.
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Oh, I can see it now. Spooky music, lots of smoke on the screen, and a serious voice begins:
"Have you talked to your cabbie about....
earwax?"
There's also good scientific evidence that shows ear candling is bunk.
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Thanks for the info Cody! There are a lot of strange "therapies" over there---drinking pickled snakewater, eating certain weird minerals, etc---so not too surprised this doesn't work either. Although it seemed to be really popular (and hilarious for us Americans to see all these people w/ candles sticking out of their ears in a spa.)
"...when i say 'I study the inner ear' a lot of people feel the need to unload their medical problems regarding earwax upon me."
This is why you'll never see a urologist or a proctologist hail a cab. Christ in a vat of cerumen.
Ditto on ear candling being bunk. It has caught on amongst some new age types. Also look into cupping. It's equally effective.
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Phrasing is important. Instead of saying you study the ear, why don't you start by saying that you study hearing? Or you could tell them you're a crime-fighting superhero.
Agreed, maybe saying you're working on a cure for some kinds of deafness would be snappier for the public.
I usually end up saying I make video game monsters. Poor unspecialized people!
Pity I don't drive a cab. Getting you for a fare would have been the perfect trigger to blather about the noise-induced hearing loss demo CD I made for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame backk in the late '90s...