Learn about 'Sound: Invisible Ally & Enemy of Brain Health' April 13

The Fermilab Arts & Lecture Series continues with "Sound: Invisible Ally & Enemy of Brain Health" by Dr. Nina Kraus of Northwestern University at 8 p.m. Friday, April 13, in Ramsey Auditorium, off Pine Street in Batavia. Cost is $7.

Although it is all around you all of the time, you rarely give much thought to this invisible yet powerful companion, sound. It shapes your brains for better and worse. Learning a second language or playing a musical instrument sharpens our brains. Lack of exposure to meaningful sound and overexposure to meaningless sound blunts your brain and stunts your development. There are ways to capture the imprint that sounds leave on your nervous system, empowering you to learn more about this invisible ally and enemy of brain health.

Nina Kraus is Professor of Communication Sciences, Neurobiology, Otolaryngology Hugh Knowles Chair at Northwestern University. She is a scientist, inventor, and amateur musician who studies the biology of auditory learning. Through a series of innovative studies involving thousands of research participants from birth to age 90, her research has found that our lives in sound, for better (musicians, bilinguals) or worse (language disorders, aging, hearing loss), shape how we hear.

Using the principles of neuroscience to improve human communication, she advocates for best practices in education, health, and social policy. Visit www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu.

For further information or telephone reservations, call (630) 840-ARTS (2787) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. At other times an answering machine will give you information and a means of placing ticket orders. You also may receive more information or order online at events.fnal.gov. Tickets are nonrefundable. Phone reservations are held for five working days, but will be released for sale if not paid for within that time. Sales for any weekend event close at noon on Friday, but if not sold out, tickets are available starting at the Ramsey Auditorium or Gallery box office one hour prior to the event. Will-call tickets can also be picked up starting one hour prior to the event. Tickets purchased online will be held at the door for will-call, unless you select the option to have them mailed to you, which does assess a $1 postage and handling fee per order.