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For those of you not privileged enough to have a copy of
Schott's Miscellany Page-A-Day Calendar, I've decided to post January 5th's entry for your amusement and feedback.
THE WORLD'S WORST SOUNDS
Professor Trevor Cox, an acoustics expert at Salford University, spent a year researching the world's worst sounds. Cox posted clips of 34 objectionable noises online, which were rated by 1.1 million visitors. In 2007, the sounds voted most unpleasant were:
1. Vomiting
2. Microphone feedback
3. Wailing babies
4. Train wheels scraping on tracks
5. A squeaky seesaw
6. Badly played violin
7. Whoopee cushion
8. An argument in a soap opera
9. The hum of electricity
10. A Tasmanian devil's scream
Surely Professor Cox must have missed a few. Can you think of any that top these?