Prof Dr Volker Hohmann
Department of Medical Physics and Acoustics

Presenter: NDR 1 Niedersachsen
Gong: Marina (8 years old)
Camera: Simon (8 years old)

We learn to hear very early in our lives - when we listen to our parents, our siblings, sounds in the environment or the music on the radio. Without hearing, we would be lost. It helps us to experience the world.

Then there is speaking. With speech, we can express what we need, we can talk to friends and hear what others are thinking. How wonderful that our hearing makes all of this possible!

It becomes difficult when someone's hearing deteriorates - this can happen as we get older, but also due to illness or too much noise. In such cases, communication with others no longer works as well, for example in the family, at work or elsewhere.

Hearing aids can help here, they make life easier. This lecture uses practical examples to show why smartphones can't do this and how hearing aids could be even better.