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DIY: How to listen to a record using your teeth (plus, a playable record made from a tortilla)

June 16, 2016

What if, instead of speakers, you could listen to your records through your teeth?

I'm what you might call an avid record collector. I have over 600 albums showcasing everything from 1930s blues to 1990s grunge. I love visiting garage sales, thrift shops and, occasionally, actual record stores to find just the right vintage vinyl to enrich my collection. But finding a quality record player and speaker set can be difficult. What if, instead of speakers, you could listen to your records through your teeth?

According to Popular Science: "You don’t need a fancy machine, or even ears, to listen to old records. With science educator Sam Haynor’s bone-conducting phonograph, you just need your teeth and some cheap everyday objects. Haynor places the record on a DIY turntable and then attaches a needle to a wooden skewer, which users bite. As the needle moves over grooves in the record, vibrations travel up the skewer and into the teeth and jaw. The brain interprets them as sound. Try it yourself, but be warned: Playing music through your skull can feel unsettling. “People give me that ‘what are you doing to me?’ look,” Haynor says."

Here is a video demonstrating how to listen to a record with your teeth.

And, as promised, here is a video explaining how to create a playable record using a tortilla.

About the Author

Alexis Gajewski | Senior Content Strategist

Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector. 

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