Today, Explained Is your brain lying to you?
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Dec 21, 2025 
Join Noam Hassenfeld, a host and reporter for Vox's Unexplainable series, and Pascal Walsh, a professor of data science and neuroscience at NYU, as they dive into the intriguing world of tinnitus. They explore how our brains create the sounds we hear and the implications of this 'superpower.' Discover how auditory illusions illustrate our brain's editing process, and learn about treatments that can help retrain our perception. Walsh emphasizes the brain's balancing act between speed and survival, reminding us to remain humble about our sensory experiences.
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Young Woman's Life Upended By Tinnitus
- Kelly developed constant, high-pitched tinnitus at 25 that disrupted her sleep, work, and relationships.
- She passed standard hearing tests yet experienced worsening symptoms that forced life changes.
Hidden Hearing Loss Explains Normal Tests
- Standard audiograms test only soft-sound nerve fibers and miss damage to fibers that code loud sounds.
- This “hidden hearing loss” can explain normal hearing tests alongside trouble in noisy places and tinnitus.
Brain Fills Missing Sound Like A Thermostat
- Tinnitus arises when the brain amplifies missing input, like a thermostat turning on heat to reach a set point.
- That compensatory increase in neural gain can create persistent phantom sounds.