PODCAST · health
Earvangelism
by Priscilla Leigh
Discover the miracles of your auditory system with Earvangelism! Join psychoaudiologist Priscilla Leigh for tales of ear wonders—stories, science, and quirky facts that prove your ears are truly mind boggling. From vocal control to emotional regulation to gut function, each episode reveals why ears are the best thing since sliced bread. Tune in to discover how auraculous you are!
Episodes
-
Minisode: Your Ear & Its Immune System
Deep in your cochlea, alongside the cells that detect sound, sits a resident population of immune cells called macrophages. They roam around patrolling for threats, clearing debris, managing inflammation. Every major organ has its own version. The brain's is called microglia. In this mini…
more -
Your Ear: The Body's Most Powerful Battery
Somewhere in your head, right now, there's a battery: a genuinely unusual electrical charge your inner ear builds and maintains for your entire life, just to make sure a whisper never gets missed. In this episode: what that battery is, why it's stranger than almost anything else in your body, and...
-
The Dancing Cells Inside Your Ear
There are cells inside your ear, physically changing shape thousands of times a second, stretching and contracting perfectly in time with whatever sound is around you. In this episode of Earvangelism, I break down outer hair cells: the only sensory cells in your body that work backwards, turning…
more -
Why You Sleep Through the Storm But Wake at Your Own Name
Why does a whispered name wake you when a thunderstorm doesn't? I follow a sound from the air into the brain and introduce you to the bouncer you have in your brain, deciding what's allowed through to the "CEO", your conscious mind. While you sleep, that checkpoint shuts almost everything out....
-
Can You Retrain a Sound That Isn't There?
There's a tinnitus device on the market right now that uses a part of your body you'd never suspect: your tongue. In this episode of Earvangelism, I break down Lenire: why the trigeminal nerve in your tongue and your auditory pathway share brainstem wiring, and what the actual clinical evidence...
-
The Boy Who Changed How I See Learning Difficulties
Ten years ago, a boy with dyslexia, ADHD and severe arithmetic difficulties progressed faster than every other child I was working with. After going through an intervention aimed at how he processed sound (not how he heard it). In this episode, I explain three specific, overlooked auditory…
more -
When Your Ear Nose Throat Doctor Says "Nothing More We Can Do," Try This
So often once patients go and see a consultant, they are told that beyond what has been prescribed or attempted, there's nothing left to do. This interview was fascinating because it demonstrates several techniques that can be used, and we look specifically at tackling Eustachian Tube…
more -
When Your Baby Passes the Hearing Screening...But Still Can't Hear
Some babies pass their newborn hearing test perfectly, and yet still don't respond to sound. The cause, in a small number of cases, is a single gene: OTOF. Its instructions are too long to fit inside a normal gene-therapy virus, so researchers split it in half and let the two pieces recombine…
more -
Hearing Loss & Dementia: The Link Might Not Mean What You Think
Hearing loss has been linked with causing dementia for a long time. On 15 July 2026, the WHO updated its dementia guidance for the first time since 2019, naming hearing loss a core risk factor and recommending hearing aids, citing roughly 7% of dementia cases. Days earlier, a peer-reviewed paper...
-
Tinnitus, the Vagus Nerve, and the Ear's Best-Kept Secret
Is there really nothing new to try for tinnitus? The answer emerging from research right now is... all hope is not lost! There's still no known universal cure, but the pipeline of things being tested is more active than many realise. In this episode, I break down one recent example…
more -
Why Women's Hearing Ages Differently Than Men's
Your inner ear has its own oestrogen receptors. I know, absolutely crazy. They help explain why men generally lose hearing earlier and more severely than women. This year, researchers identified one of the genes behind that protection. The expected result: males would suffer more, since they have...
-
Your Middle Ear Is Old Friends With Every Part of You
Almost every organ in your body is built by one type of embryonic tissue. Your middle ear is the exception: built from all three, plus a fourth crew of cells that travelled in from your developing brain to form your smallest bone. That shared construction history makes your ear old friends with...
-
What Your Earlobe Says About Your Heart
How could looking at someone's earlobe tell you more about their heart than a conversation ever could? The answer emerging from research is... a crease. In this episode, I break down Frank's sign: the diagonal fold in the earlobe first documented in 1973 and now statistically linked to coronary...
-
What Your Microbiome Is Doing to Your Cochlea
Why does the same dose of a hearing-damaging drug destroy one person's hearing and leave another's intact? The answer emerging from research is... the gut. In this episode, I break down the gut-mito-ear axis: the newly proposed framework connecting your microbiome, your blood-labyrinth barrier…
more -
Why You Feel It Before You Hear It
A sound lands in your body before you've understood what it was. A creak in the night. A two-note film score. A tone of voice that tells you something is wrong before the sentence is finished. That sequence: feel first, think second is your auditory system doing something extraordinary. Your ears...
-
Your Ears, Your Anxiety, and Your Brain
Vertigo usually originates in our ears. But what happens when the original balance problem has resolved and you still don't feel steady? In this episode of Earvangelism, I explore Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD), a fascinating condition that sits at the intersection of the...
-
Why Birdsong Makes Us Happy (And Bear Roars Don't)
Why does birdsong make us feel peaceful while a bear's roar sends a chill down our spine? In this episode of Earvangelism, we explore the hidden patterns our brains learn from sound. Without ever studying acoustics, we instinctively associate high-pitched sounds with small, safe things and...
-
Drunken Stagger? It's Your Ears.
Why do drunk people stagger, or feel like the room is spinning? The answer may surprise you: your ears. In this episode of Earvangelism, Priscilla Leigh explores how alcohol affects the inner ear’s balance system, disturbs your eye movements, and tricks your brain into thinking you’re moving when...
-
Your ACTUAL Sixth Sense
Most people think only of hearing when it comes to the ear. But hidden inside your inner ear is another sensory system entirely. It's one that stabilises your vision, keeps text from blurring while you move, and helps your brain understand where your body is in space. In this episode, we explore...
-
How to Listen Effectively.
We spend years learning to read, write, and speak. Nobody intentionally teaches us how to listen. In this episode, we get into what effective listening actually involves, why your brain wanders when someone is talking, what the Reticular Activating System has to do with it, and four practical...
-
Polyphonic Perception: How Your Brain Hears More Than One Thing at Once
How does your brain turn a chaotic overlap of sound into a world that makes sense? In this episode, we explore polyphonic perception, the remarkable ability of the auditory brain to track multiple sound streams at once. We get into how your brain groups sounds, maps them in space, and never quite...
-
How Accents Affect Listening: The Real Issue Isn’t What You Think
In this Earvangelism episode, we break down a misconception so many speakers, students and professionals struggle with: your accent isn’t the problem. The real issue is how much work the listener’s brain has to do to keep up with what you’re saying. We explore how accents influence listening...
-
The Man Who 3D Printed Hearing
What if hearing could be restored… by printing new ear bones? In this episode, we explore the groundbreaking work of Dr. Mashudu Tshifularo, who pioneered 3D-printed titanium middle ear bones to restore hearing, reshaping what’s possible in audiology and ENT surgery.
-
Why AI Voices Sound Real (But Still Feel… Off)
AI-generated podcasts are getting harder to detect, but your brain still picks up subtle clues. In this episode, we explore how the brain’s Temporal Voice Area recognises human voices, how AI recreates them using sound decomposition, and why some episodes sound like real humans… yet still feel off.
-
The Patient Who Couldn’t Hear… or Could He? 🤔
He said he couldn’t hear...the hearing test said otherwise. In this episode, a real patient case reveals what happens when hearing results don’t match human physiology, and why audiology sometimes requires a bit of detective work. 🕵️♀️
-
From Birdsong to Jaws: How Pitch Shapes Emotion
Why does birdsong feel like everything is right with the world and low, bass tones signal danger? This episode explores the emotional power of pitch, how it shapes our perception, and what it means for those who can no longer hear the high-frequency sounds that bring lightness and joy.
-
The Sound Your Brain Creates: Understanding Binaural Beats
Did you know your brain doesn’t just hear sound but creates it? In this episode, we dive into binaural beats: a fascinating auditory phenomenon that sits at the intersection of perception, brainwaves, and behaviour. Real effect or overstated claim?
-
AI's Fix to Hearing Aids' Biggest Problem
Hearing aids have always amplified sound but what if they could decide what you hear? This episode explores why background noise is such a challenge, and how AI is beginning to change the game by helping hearing aids “choose” what matters.
-
How Pregnancy Can Affect Your Hearing
Pregnancy changes many parts of the body, but few people realize it can affect the ears too. From blocked ears and tinnitus to dizziness and temporary hearing changes, hormonal shifts during pregnancy can influence the delicate fluid systems that control hearing and balance. In this episode of...
-
Ear Seeds: Can Stimulating the Ear Influence the Whole Body?
Ear seeds are tiny seeds placed on specific points of the ear and used as a form of gentle acupressure. People use them for everything from stress and sleep to pain and migraines. But how could something placed on the ear influence the rest of the body? In this episode of Earvangelism, Priscilla...
-
Can Your Ear Treat Migraines? The Daith Piercing Debate
Many people living with chronic migraines try everything from medication to lifestyle changes in search of relief. One surprising option that has gained attention is the daith piercing, a cartilage piercing deep inside the ear that some claim dramatically reduces migraine frequency. In this…
more -
The Hearing Risk No One Talks About
We all know that loud noise can damage hearing. But what if noise isn’t the only workplace risk? In this episode of Earvangelism, I speak with Associate Professor Adrian Fuente about how organic solvents, i.e. common workplace chemicals, can affect not only the inner ear but also the brain’s...
-
Living With Tinnitus: A Patient’s 17-Year Journey
During Tinnitus Awareness Week, I sat down with a patient who has lived with bilateral tinnitus for 17 years. In this excerpt from our conversation, she shares what tinnitus really sounds like — from high-pitched ringing to Morse-code rhythms — what triggers it, and what she wishes healthcare...
-
The Brown Note: Can a bass guitar trigger diarrhoea?
Can a bass really trigger diarrhoea? In this episode of Earvangelism, I explore a patient’s startling experience of needing to rush to the loo every time a specific low-frequency bass played, and nowhere else. We unpack the “brown note,” the science of low-frequency sound, and the powerful...
-
Sound as a remedy to Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the hardest conditions to treat, with most therapies offering only modest benefit. In this episode, I explore a fascinating new study published in Brain Communications that investigates whether ultrasound (sound beyond human hearing) can safely change brain...
-
Can Earwax Cause Fainting?
Can blocked ears really cause fainting? This episode explores a striking clinical case involving recurrent fainting, dizziness, and long-standing earwax impaction (blocked ears). While fainting is usually linked to the heart or brain, this episode sheds light on two lesser-known ear-related...
-
Meta AI Glasses: How do you hear through them?
In this episode, Priscilla explores the auditory setup behind Meta AI glasses, unpacking how you can hear an AI voice clearly without anything being in your ears. Spoiler: it’s not bone conduction, but near-field, directional air-conducted sound aimed straight at the ear canal. Beyond the tech,...
-
The Auditory Memory You Didn’t Know You Had
In this episode of Earvangelism, Priscilla explores echoic memory — the brief but brilliant auditory system that holds sound just long enough for meaning to emerge. Through everyday moments like multitasking conversations, hearing your name called, or processing fast speech, this episode reveals...
-
How to Be a Better Listener in 2026!
As a new year begins, we all resolve to be better: better partners, friends, colleagues. In this episode of Earvangelism, Priscilla explores one of the most overlooked yet valuable ways to do that: becoming a better listener. Drawing on 3 simple habits, this short episode looks at how listening...
-
How Your Ears Shaped Your Year
As the year comes to a close, this short episode of Earvangelism is a moment of reflection — not on what you achieved, but on what quietly supported you all year long. Your ears helped you learn, filtering and forming new auditory pathways. They protected your attention by tuning out what didn’t...
-
How Sounds Shape Your Hormones
In this Earvangelism episode, we dive into one of the most fascinating intersections in auditory science: how the sounds we hear — especially spoken words — trigger powerful hormonal responses in the brain and body. We break down how hearing is not just a mechanical process but a deeply emotional...
-
When Half The World Goes Quiet: My Mum's Story
In this personal episode of Earvangelism, I sit down with my mum to talk through her sudden sensorineural hearing loss in 2018 — an event that reshaped her understanding of her ears, and her balance. She shares the confusion of those early hours, the surprisingly critical role of her vestibular...
-
Auditory ASMR - Why Some Sounds Give You Tingles
Why do whispers, soft tapping, and rustling pages trigger warm, tingling waves in some people but leave others completely unaffected? In this episode of Earvangelism, we explore the deeply personal and surprisingly emotional world of ASMR. We break down what ASMR is, how the auditory system...
-
Too Quiet, Too Loud: Auditory Recruitment Explained
Why does the world sometimes feel like it has no middle volume? This episode of Earvangelism unravels the science of auditory recruitment, where damaged hair cells in the ear distort how we experience sound. We’ll talk about how this phenomenon blurs the line between silence and noise, how it...
-
Hearing Aids vs Hearing Amplifiers: What’s the Difference, Really?
They both make things louder, so what’s the big deal? Quite a lot, actually. In this episode, we look at the growing world of over-the-counter hearing amplifiers — how they compare to prescription hearing aids, when they might help, and when they might do more harm than good. From custom fitting…
more -
Why Your Voice Sounds So Weird on Recordings
Have you ever cringed at the sound of your own voice on a recording? You’re not alone — and there’s real science behind that discomfort. In this episode of Earvangelism, we explore why your voice sounds so different when played back, and what it reveals about how your hearing actually works. From...
-
The Syndrome That Makes You Hear Too Much
What if you could hear your eyes move? Or your own heartbeat echoing in your skull? In this episode of Earvangelism, we explore Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS) — a rare and fascinating condition where a tiny hole in the inner ear blurs the line between sound, balance, and…
more -
Selective Hearing: Science or Excuse?
In a world full of sound, our brains are expert editors — deciding what’s worth hearing and what’s not. This episode of Earvangelism dives into the phenomenon of selective hearing: the fascinating intersection between perception and attention. We’ll explore the neuroscience behind why some sounds...
-
Misophonia - When Everyday Sounds Drive You Mad
What if everyday sounds like chewing, tapping, or breathing made your skin crawl or sent your stress levels through the roof? In this episode of Earvangelism, we dive into misophonia — a condition where ordinary sounds trigger intense emotional and physical reactions. We’ll explore what science...
-
What Really Makes Hearing Aids Work
In this episode of the Earvangelism Podcast, we unpack the key factors that determine how effective hearing aids truly are. From the degree and type of hearing loss, to the role of technology, fitting formulae, and audiologist expertise, through to the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt — we...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Discover the miracles of your auditory system with Earvangelism! Join psychoaudiologist Priscilla Leigh for tales of ear wonders—stories, science, and quirky facts that prove your ears are truly mind boggling. From vocal control to emotional regulation to gut function, each episode reveals why ears are the best thing since sliced bread. Tune in to discover how auraculous you are!
HOSTED BY
Priscilla Leigh
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Earvangelism have?
Earvangelism currently has 70 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Earvangelism about?
Discover the miracles of your auditory system with Earvangelism! Join psychoaudiologist Priscilla Leigh for tales of ear wonders—stories, science, and quirky facts that prove your ears are truly mind boggling. From vocal control to emotional regulation to gut function, each episode reveals why ears...
How often does Earvangelism release new episodes?
Earvangelism has 70 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Earvangelism?
You can listen to Earvangelism on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Earvangelism?
Earvangelism is created and hosted by Priscilla Leigh.
URL copied to clipboard!