Why old screens make a ʰᶦᵍʰ ᵖᶦᵗᶜʰᵉᵈ noise

[@TomScottGo]

Last time I was here I had a professional camera operator. This time, I have... well, me. At least I checked the audio though. (Thanks again to everyone at the Cambridge Centre for Computing History!)

[@Eric-zz5ij]

hey was that a Morse code or something in the end?

[@Danny_Boel]

not just you getting old Tom, I didn't notice a thing and thought it was a greenscreen...

[@jeremylakeman]

Well, I can still hear it. Wait the video stopped? But I can still hear it...

[@Eric-zz5ij]

Jeremy is it stuck in your head? like you hear it even if the video isn't on?

[@cybercat1531]

Starts at 3:58. It's bloody headache inducing.

[@W92Baj]

As you get older you start hearing a low pitched grunt every time you get up from a chair. Its odd

[@BobbyMoran606]

W92Baj - Minecraft and games Hi Baj!

[@salami99]

i hoping someone can explain this more, becuase that sounds depressing.

[@Madhattersinjeans]

@concurrent Flame, I think it's a joke about things taking more effort as you get older, like getting up from a chair and making a grunt from the effort.

[@SilverSpade92]

I'm already doing that. I'm 26.

[@dawnqwerty]

Baj!

[@augmentedjustin835]

This video went from “oh cool science” to “oh mortality” very quickly

[@anisadiniyahr384]

Indeed :(

[@squishmastah4682]

So from "oh cool science" to "oh bummer science"? 😂

[@lokiswager]

1000 like

[@azerithboxxed4339]

Everything goes back to our inevitable deaths.

[@amiqai]

Sums it up

[@Zaurthur]

>"Sorry you were slightly inconvenieced by my video, I was too busy confronting my impending mortality" This video got dark.

[@ericpeterson2960]

It really did.

[@huntleysheep4787]

when did it say that

[@gabemerritt3139]

@@huntleysheep4787 more like paraphrasing the entire video

[@billkoul9780]

@@huntleysheep4787 Near the end, that "I'm getting older" is the most obvious clue

[@gyrgrls]

@@billkoul9780 Well, at the end, it is customary to fade to black...

[@conciseenglish7486]

I heard the high-pitched beeping at the end. I recognized it as morse code. I downloaded the audio for the video, put it into audacity, and transcribed it. I wasted 30 minutes of my life on this, just to see that I was writing down "NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP"

[@Sheffy-gb9rp]

Thank you for sparing me the time bc the curiosity was about to drive me mad

[@ceddyd]

Lmao

[@darkrighteous64]

GODDAMNIT TOM

[@awc3651]

and to get 196 likes

[@spacekelp_1645]

Thank you for doing it so I don't have to

[@sealofapoorval7437]

This used to be my "superpower" as a kid. I could always tell when the television was on without even looking at it and with seemingly no sound. Sometimes when a TV takes a long time to start and my parents would keep pressing the start button, I would tell them to just wait because the TV had already started and is just loading. Other times when someone would watch the TV on mute (to avoid disturbing sleeping people in house) i could still tell the TV was on because of this sound. I genuinely thought I had a superpower

[@hireahitCA]

Same! I could pick out where in the computer lab a monitor was left on too, not always perfectly, but enough to go to the right row instead of walking the whole room. I wonder if I still can.

[@dvdvnr]

Back in the 1970s my second ever job was as an apprentice TV Engineer. Because I was hearing that 15,625 Hz noise all day long in the workshop, I think I must have learned to mostly tune it out. Back in those days most TVs had a "Horizontal Hold" - I could adjust it by sound alone knowing that, when it was set right, it didn't appear as loud to me.

[@Nimerian]

SAME! My mother used to go nuts turning the tv on and off b4 the picture could start and I was watching in amusement hearing the noise getting on and off.

[@ninsophy9798]

@@Nimerian what a lad

[@Eddytorial]

this is exactly what I've been through (:

[@marcogh]

WHAT THE MORSE CODE AT THE END SAID: "NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP". I like the sense of humor

[@crimsonorbital]

Morris code?

[@suicidaljell]

Thank you this is what I was looking for

[@marcogh]

Morse* My bad.

[@lukeboggon4769]

From 3:59 onwards

[@Hellion232Z]

That was a very painful version of morse code.

[@dybiosol]

"...at least you can still hear it." Me: "Can I though?" (1 second later) Me: AAAAAAAAAA

[@vunga8195]

never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down

[@poplee6478]

Arrghh! The pain!

[@poplee6478]

This is funny, video still great!

[@user-jd6gq2vh5w]

There is secret morse code ;)

[@jessewilliams8724]

What do you mean? There was just the end card

[@overclockofficial6669]

Him: "At least you can still hear it." Everyone in the comments: "AHH MY EARS" Me: "What? ... oh no"

[@MadNumForce]

I had to put on my AKG Austrian made headphones to pick it up. With my regulator PC speakers it wasn't audible (for me).

[@FredbrStudios]

@@MadNumForce 3 hours ago lmao

[@mattnelson9123]

This is how I've just found out I can't hear high frequencies any more :(

[@GopaiCheems]

SAME

[@theomni1012]

I’m 14 and I can’t hear anything. What

[@Meekox]

Tom what the hell, didn't expect this kind of sadness

[@stormkeepergu]

Yeah, that was a bit depressing... it reminded me of how much older I am getting as well!

[@Pinkrevenge101]

What manga is in your pfp?

[@JSSell25]

"Well...at least you can still hear it." *proceeds to play noise so high-pitched it feels like a drill inside my brain* Gee, thanks for that heartfelt lesson on gratitude, Tom.

[@douglasparkinson4123]

its morse. i cant decrypt it but i know its morse

[@insdel3227]

@@douglasparkinson4123 morse says "NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP"

[@mozarteanchaos]

that was the most painful rickroll ive ever experienced

[@sirrivet9557]

Can only hear up to 15k hertz so.

[@gabemerritt3139]

@@insdel3227 I can barely hear it, I'm only 19....

[@calebmerritt8788]

That took a sudden sad and introspective turn that I don't normally expect from your videos, but it was sincere and touching. Thanks, Tom.

[@carpedm9846]

"At least you can still hear it." Me: ah what a wonderful and wholesome endi-OHGOD STOP

[@dankolord]

never gonna give you up

[@Zermelin]

Is the last part a morse code? It sounds like it?

[@vibaj16]

@@Zermelin yes, morse code for what the guy above you said

[@obiwankenobi8033]

@l o l probably a year or two the limit is usually mid 30s

[@Jesspunk]

I sat through and painstakingly wrote out that morse code, and you rickrolled me Tom, I don't know what I expected

[@michaelzheng5250]

Tom: Well, at least you can still hear it Tom 2 seconds later: Let’s use Rick-roll Morse to pierce your eardrums

[@alfiehawes2412]

do you know what the morse translates to?

[@joahnnaibarra2282]

@@alfiehawes2412 Never gonna give you up :) good ol rick roll -. . ...- . .-. --. --- -. -. .- --. -- ...- . -.-- --- ..- ..- .--.

[@questioner1596]

I noticed it, but only slightly. When I turned off the 20 year old plasma TV I used as a monitor and listened on the laptop speakers, it was very obvious. That plasma also puts out quite a buzz, and it was drowning out the audio. It's not the same noise that CRTs make (it is 1080p after all), and it changes based on how bright the picture is. My newer 4K LED backlit LCD also makes a high pitched buzz based on how bright the picture is. It's so annoying that I turned the brightness down on the TV just so I don't have to listen.

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

@@questioner1596 That's just....weird. You must be superhuman. Lcd's don't make sounds

[@questioner1596]

@@unliving_ball_of_gas, it certainly does make a sound, and I find it worse than the CRT TVs' sound because its fluctuations make it more noticable. It's an LG from around 2015.

[@dandan1812]

Protect your hearing, then blasts high pitched hell at the end.

[@harsimaja9517]

What high pitched hell? ... Oh. :(

[@tanuki9691]

Har Simaja if you are on a phone, it doesn't play those frequencies, i had to turn on my headphones to hear it

[@TheScaith]

@@tanuki9691 My s10 plays it just fine tho

[@46rt76]

@@TheScaith depends on the quality of the speakers probably

[@TheScaith]

@@46rt76 Yea, although s10 speakers are neither really good nor really bad, I just thought that the frequency range would be something that stays rather consistent in smartphone speakers. It's usually more about how low and how loud the small thing can get and the frequency of that morsecode is about that of the higher frequencies a high hat produces, which you really don't want to be missing from your music.

[@battlehawk77]

Bravo, Tom, for showing some vulnerability, something that seems to be more and more lacking these days. The bulk of the video explains why, as a kid, I knew when one of my siblings had snuck downstairs to watch tv in the middle of the night.

[@offichannelnurnberg5894]

I guess they are all traumatized now and this may be a too private question? But if not, why not ditch age restrictions at all if midnight program does not seem to have harmed them?

[@battlehawk77]

@@offichannelnurnberg5894 They were watching cartoon videotapes.

[@CoolTomato]

I can't believe I spent 10 minutes translating the morse code at the end just to get rick rolled. Tom, I'm disappointed in you.

[@57thorns]

You should know better than that. No one would be disappointed at that. Except us who did not hear it.

[@panderleander9370]

What did it say?

[@filiplayz1893]

Wtf I didn’t hear it

[@EMETRL]

we're no strangers to love

[@itzmeroky1305]

@@filiplayz1893 I have bad news for you

[@Babalooza]

who remembers when you could tell if someone left the tv on the moment you walked into the house?

[@allyzapena1001]

Babalooza I miss those times 😢

[@quamne]

i dont

[@malding1]

Everyone

[@alex0589]

A freakin superpower

[@TubbyJ420]

i have strong memories of back in school when you walked down the hall past a bunch of classrooms, if the door was open you heard the sound for a second.

[@colterpett8590]

Alternate title: Tom has a breakdown about getting old because of old tvs

[@OHOE1]

I have a tv that sounds like that

[@ApolloRBLX]

A

[@paulf1071]

Anybody know how Tom made the words 'high pitched' appear as superscript in the video title?

[@unbeknownstprofile]

@@paulf1071 superscript text generator

[@Michael_Pereira]

3:30 "I can't hear mosquito alarms anymore." -Tom Scott We feel pain at this great loss Tom

[@maremike2691]

I would be glad not hearing them, because I could make mosquitos go away and sleep at the same time

[@Jayden3649]

​@@maremike2691they rnt for mosquitos they r for children

[@n0ame1u1]

That turned depressing real quick.

[@user-qx7tm5df8j]

even more depressing fact: the mean thing is, even tho you cant hear high frequences, they can still damage your hearing. thats why these animal ultrasonic devices are so increadibly dangerous and dumb.

[@majj6598]

I know right I some reason feel sad for tom

[@crinklecake53]

my parents used to tell me that i was just hearing things as a kid but i knew it was there, and it was thanks for proving it to me

[@renigold3390]

Well, technically, you were _hearing_ things

[@ryanboll5621]

No offence, but your parents were probably just too old to hear it. Your ability to hear high pitched noises like this goes away with age.

[@NahrAlma]

Don't you just love that? I asked my parents about these things I sometimes get in my eyes. They told me I'm crazy. Years later Michael from Vsauce talked about eye floaters. That's why I don't have more respect for older people. They often think they've got things figured out and don't want to learn.

[@DMack6464]

owo

[@necrome9746]

@@NahrAlma I've spoken to 50 year olds that still say the world is still an amusement park for them. Still learning silly things they couldn't figure out for decades. You could see how their eyes light up like a young child fascinated by something new they discover. I really hope that love for learning stays with me as well.

[@stkyriakoulisdr]

I though being able to hear when CRT screens were on was my childhood superpower. My parents couldn't hear that pitch and when I told my friends they didn't seem to know what I was talking about, so I thought I was one of few people that could do it. I haven't been any more disappointed with an informative KZbin video in my life.

[@DaeHan2321]

I came for the science, left with a life lesson

[@MarkBonneaux]

DaeHan2321 science AND a life lesson!

[@SianaGearz]

I came for the science and left with a tinnitus, due to a loud encoded message at the end.

[@omarhuda4997]

Siana Gearz I didn't hear it. :'-(

[@happydawg2663]

barely heard the morse code, wasn't sure if I was going crazy or was real

[@factsverse9957]

marcs It was real

[@BBQnapalm]

I feel like Tom was hiding sad feels when he started talking about age and hearing... :(

[@MaxIvoWes]

I think so too, it's sad to see :(

[@jorgecoelho2]

"NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP"

[@TomScottGo]

Let the record show that Jorge here figured it out first.

[@SkeleCrafteronYT]

Maybe you'll get older Tom Scott but memes will live on forever

[@IboCamIbo]

Tom Scott rick rolled yet again

[@djoakeydoakey1076]

You Rick Rolled us?!

[@Coccinelf]

But the big question is, do you hear it Tom?

[@Doodle128]

My granddad was always confused when I covered my ears in hardware stores with old monitors that show the camera feed until I told him about this, cheers Tom.

[@massimookissed1023]

Try tinitus. It's on *every* video.

[@nathanielhawkins6959]

I also got very confused about people mentioning morse code at the end. I can barely hear it

[@gronki1]

I checked with a spectrogram app and it's actually there. So sad :(

[@simpleminded1uk]

Yep - I can't hear even a suspicion of Morse code.

[@Igor-ls1qq]

I can hear it, but only in my left ear Just found out my right ear is totally bad at both high and low frequencies

[@finian2]

I can hear it if I switch my volume from low to high, because then I can tell which new frequencies have been added to the mix. Otherwise it just blends in.

[@ExiusCorp]

For anyone who isn't aware, Tinnitus - for a lot of people including myself - is that very sound, but constant. Never going away completely, always there, often an amalgamation of multiple high pitch frequencies. I've had it for as long as I can remember and notice I often tune it out subconsciously, but when it's quiet around me, it's there. So this video's coming up on 3 years old but I only recently found it, sorry!

[@professorjack2099]

My tinnitus is the same frequency as a CRT. Grew up with it always on and even slept with it through the night. I wonder if this is a cause of tinnitus

[@kirara2516]

Same. I can never have total silence and need background noise just to sleep because of it.

[@professorjack2099]

@@kirara2516 box fan

[@kirara2516]

@@professorjack2099 that helps. Sometimes I also have to use a video of a crackling fireplace or rain falling in a forest to help.

[@theplayer4664]

i dont have tinnitus but my ears have a genetic thing in that they grew in a weird way that lets me hear higher pitch frequencies than a person with normal hearing, i hate the sound of CRT screens beacause i can hear them, not only higher pitch frequencies but i can hear lower volumes too yes i do have frequent headaches from this

[@killmajaro1]

The gap in my front 2 teeth is the perfect size to allow me to make the mosquito noise. I can adjust the pitch up and down and have always been able to bring the pitch beyond my own range of hearing. (I had people tell me they could still hear it after I couldn't anymore.) This video made me think about my ability to do this over the course of my life. Good stuff.

[@jevesh4491]

Wow, I have the same talent too, except for the part about not hearing high frequencies, I really didn't think I would meet anyone who could do it.

[@s2ms10ik5]

Thanks, I unlocked a new skill today

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

I use my lips to adjust the hole and the frequency. But Idk if I can go that high pitched.

[@Lou-li5mv]

what, how do you do that????

[@whizthesugoi]

@@Lou-li5mv it's like whistling but while smiling

[@TrueMetis]

There's a real fun game you can play when you've got sensitive hearing but you also deal with loud noises often. I call it "Am I actually hearing something or have I finally developed tinnitus". Loads of fun.

[@JoeBleasdaleReal]

Every time I watch this video my urge to hug and protect Tom from every hardship in the world increases

[@emilytrost4123]

I forgot I'm literally an empath and started crying

[@MaxIvoWes]

@@emilytrost4123 Aww that's sweet :)

[@inmiseryseekrootbeer4966]

@@emilytrost4123 whats an empath?

[@herculesmclovin]

@@inmiseryseekrootbeer4966 Empaths are empathetic. Empathy = the ability to actually feel how others feel and show a genuine concern for them as if it's your problem too. Like sharing someone's troubles, crying together etc.. I understand it but my asbergers gets in the way often, sometimes I'm only capable of sympathy (which is more like understanding it must be hard/sad for someone and being sorry for them, but not actually feeling how they do) Sometimes I feel sociopathic were I feel nothing for no one apart from maybe myself. Contrary to popular belief, sociopaths are capable of empathy and can even feel large amounts of guilt/shame. It's more like a switch flips in their mind and they loose touch of empathy. It could be a protective measure to flip, because they can't deal with their overwhelming feelings. The opposite to empathy is Apathy. Apathy is a common trait in horrible people (such as serial killers & psychopaths) but of course not everyone. Being closer to apathy than empathy can be a sign of childhood trauma - many of us have a tough background, leading to a degree of trouble in our emotional intelligence. It's often that we neglect the importance of our mental health, perhaps, even accusing others of always being the problem when really we need to take a deep and long look in the mirror. We are not responsible for others and their behaviour, we aren't here to alter them. We are responsible for our own behaviour and the way we response to others, despite how they act.

[@anirobrien7004]

gay

[@hellterminator]

Well, this is among the more elaborate ways I've been rickrolled.

[@cole_s13]

I'm impressed

[@MeAuntieNora]

That noise is a *wonderful* noise when you're a kid in school, and you can hear that you're going to be watching a video instead of regular, boring class.

[@reverseturingtest]

Me Auntie Nora I guess it also indicates that your school doesn't have enough money to replace 15 year old televisions though. I heard that noise a lot.

[@MeAuntieNora]

Haha, indeed... it could also be true that I haven't been in school in 15 years as well.

[@ArgoIo]

We had a TV in school which was so loud that it would drown out the audio... Our teachers didn't understand why we were complaining.

[@MrBrimstone]

No idea about in Europe, but in the U.S. schools are dreadfully underfunded for the most part. Still to this day, many grade-schools use the old TVs and see-through plastic/magnifier projectors.

[@mixthos]

It's less wonderful when the teacher leaves the TV on for the entire period after watching a 10min video and you sit right next to it...

[@WilliamMelton617]

I literally just turned 28 yesterday and you hit me with this

[@jocax188723]

Me, being a pilot in my twenties hearing the end card: "Wait a minute, that sounds like Morse! 'N..e..v..e..r..g..o..n-' oh for feck's sake"

[@Lampe2020]

You have to admit, it's one of the most clever ways to rickroll all of KZbin...

[@HSkraekelig]

Wait, what morse co... oh... *sigh*(

[@MuddyGlocco]

The second I heard beeping, I knew that was the morse code but I had no idea what it meant lmfao

[@itsv1p3r]

He cant keep getting away with this!😩

[@Dismantled95]

LMAO

[@kiro9291]

this got strangely emotional

[@klaxoncow]

The feels.

[@shockine]

>ywn regain your hearing

[@nathangatenby4448]

Bit cringeworthy how he Nearly started crying

[@Fluffycat]

When the video ends but you still hear ringing...

[@christianmoore7109]

Fluffycat tinnitus gang rise up 😤😤😤

[@kurigohan7800]

Its not your ear ringing, its a morse code :D it translates to "never give you up" Considering what Tom said, we're lucky we could still hear it (*^o^*)

[@5joe]

@@kurigohan7800 I think they meant after the entire video ended, which would mean they have tinnitus like me

[@dausefulmarker]

wait which type of ringing i have a white noise type ringing like when you turn on a tv from the 2000s

[@greenyhobunkr6774]

I could still hear it after the video but i could not before. Did it cause tinnitus?

[@ivyssauro123]

That's gotta be the best and most straight forward explanation of how a CRT work i've ever seen, I'll admit that even tho I've been enamoured by the things for a while now I didn't REALLY get it how they worked and now it makes perfect sense, thanks! Watching from CRT that doesn't make any noise because it's frequency is too high haha

[@trevorchan9342]

The morse code is ringing in my ear now. I'm continuously getting RickRolled.

[@minethink1442]

hahaha i just noticed

[@achiinrst1628]

Do you know what it says

[@cajunvoodoo5930]

NEVERGONNAGIVEYOUUP

[@flyinggreenbee]

Now I wished that I had learnt Morse code. Cos I could hear it but didn't know what it was trying to say.

[@russia1305]

@@flyinggreenbee never too late to learn it

[@pastaman64]

No matter how bad my hearing gets I'll always be able to hear the sound of a CRT since my tinnitus sounds like it

[@ohthatremindsmeofmypruneju3669]

yup

[@hchskxnbcj]

Me who could hear the noise and has a tinitus in this sound: unlimited power!

[@tommeng6522]

paaaaaiiin

[@mickeymouse12678]

My tinnitus developed at a very young age and it has always sounded sort of like the CRT whine, but also warbling in directionality. I think I've always had it, but it has become louder as I've gotten older.

[@JesseBellas]

I'm starting to develop tinnitus. I do not look forward to it getting worse.

[@CommanderTK9091]

I could barely hear the high pitch at the end over the roar of my tinnitus.

[@JurgenBlitz]

MMMOP. MMMOP. MMMOOOOOP.

[@46rt76]

@@JurgenBlitz wat

[@ithinkpaulmightbehavinastr8878]

I also have tinnitus, I know that feeling (and Tom's) bro

[@demonindenim]

tfw the high pitch sounds keep going after the video ends

[@AllTimeAmberx]

I have tinnitus too!

[@CrArC]

It's just occurred to me that I might've lost my ability to immediately tell whether or not a CRT TV/monitor was on in a 25m radius, and not even know it, because of course nobody uses those old things any more. I was the same as Tom, could easily do this all the way through my 20's!

[@SummerSausage1]

at 4:00 there's some type of high pitched morse code sounds playing. Tom, you're the definition of attention to detail, even if you can't hear your own jokes anymore ;)

[@Pamgin]

SummerWizz1 if only someone here was young enough and knew Morse code

[@EliasTheHunter]

Pamgin that's a very good point!

[@T0DD]

I caught it... and now I want to know what it was

[@Wheeze_NL]

Pamgin I am young enough to hear it (28 but still...) and am a Licensed Amateur radio operator, but I still haven't mastered CW/Morse-code. I'll try to get the pitch down and ask a very skilled friend on Wednesday.

[@arjen4120]

SummerWizz1 it probably says "things you might not know"

[@Scadunc]

The Morse code at the end is genuinley the most clever thing on youtube

[@TsaDude]

Do you know what it says?

[@13_cmi]

@@TsaDude It's a rick roll apparentlayf

[@polski_dezerter]

darn now I regret I hadn't learnt morse code

[@ITAC85]

@@TsaDude It says "Never gonna give you up"

[@metalnep]

I’m surprised I could hear that!

[@pedrol.mammini4940]

As I was watching this video, I remembered of a very funny story of how me and my friends installed an app that allows you to release a constant sound with a especific frequency, and we tested in many ocasions. One of these ocasions was our physics class, where we generated a 17000 Hz sound (very annoying and agonizing sound) and the cool thing is that our teacher was not only old but on top of that, confiscated our cellphones and put them on his table, and for a period of 45 minutes, the entire classroom suffered with that sound, everyone except my physics teacher, that believed the students were being too distracted and finding excuses to leave the class. I could barely hold my laughter.

[@CaseyShontz]

I kind of want to try this some time

[@isaiahway]

*Some men just want to watch the world burn*

[@chemicalfuzzy]

How did I not see you on r/madlads yet

[@lord_raindrops237]

May I know the app name?

[@olbradley]

Same thing happened too me. Bunch of annoying as kids who play high pitched sounds and the teacher never notices it.

[@benhudelot2829]

When I was younger that noise would give me horrendous skull splitting headaches if I spent too long on the TV. My parents couldn’t hear it, so we assumed it was from eye-strain. It wasn’t until years later, when we got a new TV, but my grandparents still had their old one that I realized what the real cause was.

[@NoXion100]

I'm 33 years old, and I couldn't hear a damn thing at the end. Not with the big hi-fi speakers nor the headphones. I guess 20 years of heavy metal has taken its toll.

[@chocobrowniewin]

I wonder if they are just pulling our legs! What buzz?

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

@@chocobrowniewin Haha, this makes me remember about my grandparents when I told them their plasma tv is loud.

[@RosieGoldie85]

@@chocobrowniewin Nah, i can hear it just fine (am 16 years old) Not only that, it isnt just a random buzz either, its a message in morse code! (Ow, it really hurts my ears though. High pitched noises are very unpleasant)

[@BierBart12]

Don't worry, the metal is probably not what did you in. It's probably genetic. Someone around 70 I know could hear those rods they use to scare moles away underground, which beeps at the same frequency(or a bit higher) as the end of the video, while my dad(same age) couldn't I only heard the beeping on my right ear at 25... I guess my left ear is worse

[@greego5952]

BTW the morse code message is a rick roll

[@halfaworldaway]

Is that morse code at the end card?

[@Pacvalham]

Yes, and according to some other comments, it says "Never gonna give you up"

[@paigeg2109]

Anyone know morse code?

[@spazmaster6731]

is that actually what it says or are you just posting a stale 2005 dead meme

[@TomJake500]

Spazmaster It does, in fact, say "never gonna give you up".

[@downthegardenpath]

Am I missing something? Can't hear or see anything on the end card

[@them8tysibulba]

"Anger is fear in disguise". Now that's a quote I shall never forget, thank you.

[@drcyb3r]

I remember the big CRT TV we had when I was a child. I hated watching movies on it, as it was so loud (the noise). Some weeks ago I was on vacation and the hotel still had CRTs, but they were really quiet somehow. Sadly I forgot to check the frequencies with my phone, but I am able to hear really high noises and all other CRTs, so that somehow was a special one. I can also hear the morse-code in the CRT-pitch at the end of the video perfectly fine.

[@lalaland3329]

OMG thank you for this, I always described my Tinnitus as an old TV screen ringing and no one knows what I'm talking about!

[@kicksledkid]

lalaland I've had tinnitus since I was a kid, and I always described it as an old crt turning on.

[@rubaninferno]

wow PPTA and lalaland. Found someone like myself!

[@traplover6357]

KT just try not to go insane if you're in a sound-free bedroom. Like always turn on the fan or something so you won't get annoyed.

[@QuotePilgrim]

KT, I also only remember I have tinnitus when someone mentions it, but mine is faint enough that it doesn't bother me even when I notice it.

[@EliteXtasy]

I can't tell whether the high-pitch sound is coming from the video or my tinnitus. I'm just going to pretend it's coming from the video so that I don't feel old.

[@NoriMori1992]

I had a feeling "I can't hear it anymore" was going to come into play at some point. I was shocked at how sad he managed to make me about it, though…

[@Sugarglidergirl101]

This video actually makes me kinda sad. This reminds me of when I was in Japan where some of the stores/malls had high pitched noises to keep birds and stuff away and I remember my ears hurting when it didn’t bother anyone else.

[@almachizit3207]

I thought they used it to keep teenagers away

[@planefan082]

@@almachizit3207 I don't think that's ethical use of tech

[@almachizit3207]

@@planefan082 doesn't stop most shops where I live

[@sodiboo]

@@planefan082 well it’s still a thing people do

[@somelokyguy6466]

@@planefan082 In some places they blast high pitch noises down alleyways to stop teenagers from congregating in there.

[@braylonchampion5908]

Over 4 years later, and I have just decoded the code at the end. Well played, Tom. Well played.

[@richardmattocks]

The worst part is... I didn't hear that high-pitched sound either :( yeah... getting old sucks. I noticed it a while back when I re-listened to a music cd from years ago and found I couldn't hear the detail that I KNEW was there deep in the mix. :(

[@wellesradio]

richard mattocks What record was that?

[@lumpyfishgravy]

I find the opposite - although my ears are ageing, my brain continues to learn and improve. I am hearing more and more details in music.

[@geocarey]

I am 70. My upper limit is now 9000Hz. My hifi stereo system still sounds the same. I guess my brain is filling in the missing frequencies.

[@lobsterbark]

Most likely you just lost your hearing so slowly that you forgot what those frequencies sound like. My freinds grandpa has a really good home theater and hifi system in his basement that we use whenever we hang out there, and its kinda disappointing because the calibration and speaker placement is really messed up because his grandpa can't hear well enough to realize that it sounds like garbage due to the way its set up. Its all pretty decent equipment, its just setup wrong. One time we played an old cassette in it, and I could hear the azimuth was completly off. I fixed it, and his grandpa couldn't hear the difference, while my friend was shocked that cassettes can actually sound really good with nothing but a quickly done by ear calibration.

[@lumpyfishgravy]

As you age, your brain starts to make symbolic shortcuts. You think you see or hear something, but more and more of it is memories.

[@jackfrost9728]

If you can't hear the morse code at the end card, put a portable AM radio tuned to around 530 KHz up to your computer's speakers. You can clearly hear it thru the AM radio. Turn up your computer's volume to max.

[@artysanmobile]

geocarey That is absolutely true. Your mind compensates for shortcomings in all your senses. It does this in a way you cannot discern.

[@Orrinn123]

Well then you probably didn’t hear the high pitch in the end. It was morse code that said “Never gonna give you up”. At least you’re immuned to high pitched rickrolls, so I guess that’s your silver lining?

[@McHeisenburger]

3:59 I just got Rick Rolled by high pitched morse code.

[@ajemajh]

what?

[@hideyboishit]

ah so that's what it was, thanks tom

[@jasonw98]

Thanks my sponsor blocker to block me from being rickrolled

[@sbstratos79]

@james they're taking about the sponsor block extension available for Chrome, firefox and other browsers.

[@MultiverseCODM]

Hahaha yes

[@billgreen576]

Getting old Tom. Oh what adventures await.

[@bxdanny]

I remember always hearing that high-pitched sound when a TV was on, and wondering why my parents couldn't hear it. It would be many years later that I found out what it was. The thing is, I got so used to the idea that TV screens made that sound, that now I imagine I hear it even on modern LCD TVs, which don't make that sound.

[@TheBanana93]

if you put your ear to the back of an LCD monitor and move it around at some point you will probably hear a slight high pitched whine from a capacitor. Hell I can even hear my phone in a quite room if i put it to my ear haha

[@LSqre]

@@TheBanana93 Either I have tinnitus or I can hear my phone's capacitors screaming in pain.

[@hii-people2245]

Isn’t it that you might just have tinnitus

[@pandaman144.]

Its really kind of a placebo effect. You grow up hearing it and so you expect it to be there

[@what-uc]

I think I have tinnitus at that frequency but I only hear it when stuff like this reminds me about it. I have decent hearing though. The other night I noticed that my bedroom TV's backlight makes a slight noise when it's set to an even number but not an odd number.

[@tykouae2757]

That noise in the end hurts

[@empath69]

Don't worry; won't be TOO long before it won't bother you anymore...

[@renfrien7009]

It's morse code! A special message just for us younger beans. ;)

[@jessekendall8441]

hurts in more way than one

[@PinkyGhost]

Am i weird for finding it al little pleasant

[@marcuscross8051]

I can't hear it

[@blueberry1c2]

"Protect your hearing" as i listen to high quality bassboosted memes every day

[@dcarbs2979]

Bass is a different frequency and near harmless to hearing. If it's around your natural frequency it can disintegrate organs

[@thejojomonado3647]

@@dcarbs2979 "Near harmless" "Can *disintegrate organs* " I'm getting seriously mixed messages here

[@dcarbs2979]

@@thejojomonado3647 Audible bass is near harmless. The frequency you need to disintegrate an object is the natural frequency. For humans that's 7Hz (below the audible range of 20Hz). And you'll probably need a bigger amplitude than domestic hifis can produce to achieve it. Club and festival-scale PA's should be able to do it! Ears have smaller components, more susceptible to damage from higher frequencies.

[@dylanpyle6500]

If that's are frequncey, I wonder why I have not heard if sound weapons.

[@memeeeeh]

@@dcarbs2979 while resonating at our natural frequency can be discomforting, it will not desintegrate organs. The natural frequency of a human body ranges from 3Hz to 7Hz, with newer studies saying up to 10Hz. However different body parts have different natural frequencies.

[@ChristiRich]

I used to ask my parents about the high pitched whine from the television when I was growing up. They were never able to hear it.

[@bajablaze00]

20 years ago, as a child, I’d fall asleep every night to that high pitch hum watching my fav. VHS. The joy to wake up to the same ring, even when the only tv on was in a few rooms away was actually exhilarating. It was comforting, however now I suffer from tinnitus and constantly hear a similar high pitch tone ringing all the time (which limits me, socially and mentally). The popular opinion for the cause the ear ringing is over exposure to loud noises, which I mostly agree. Still, I wonder.... Love every bit of your videos though! I could fall asleep listening to them on a CRTV. 😆 Thanks for your unique, curious and brilliant work.

[@JeremyBaxendell]

I went back and listened to the previous video. I couldn't hear the high pitched noise either. Maybe we need to view the inability to hear such noises as an asset. At level 7, we get +4 resistance to sonic damage.

[@therealpomax]

Unfortunately, that's not how it works. You can't hear it - and it still damages your hearing. Sort of like how you can't see UV light, and it'll still boil your retinas. This stuff's super unfair.

[@klutterkicker]

I can hear it but just barely. For contrast I had no problem hearing the easter egg at the end of this video. I think the humming is just low in volume and at a frequency made by a variety of electronic devices (or ear congestion).

[@jamesyeoman794]

Jeremy Baxendell An immunity to Unrelenting Force... FUS RO DAH!

[@MrHatoi]

You could also have speakers/headphones that can't play those noises, as well. And it does not make you more resistant to sonic damage, it means you already have it.

[@TheGuardian163]

what's the last video with the high pitch noise?

[@fluffycritter]

I'm "fortunate" that at 39 I can still (barely) hear the mosquito alarms. I was always really good at hearing the flyback transformers as a kid and would often be the only person in a room who knew that a TV was on - and be unable to concentrate on anything because of the noise.

[@ThePixel1983]

Did you also hear Phone chargers and other (cheap) transformers?

[@huntsbychainsaw5986]

@@ThePixel1983 in my case yes. Cheap phone chargers, CRT screens, the cooling coil in my 12v electric cooler. Also people who smack when they eat, or moist mouth noises from radio or TV presenters cause me distress.

[@johnw2026]

My grandparents had those pest repellers you plug into the wall, supposed to chase off mice with high pitch noise. As a teen i could hear them.

[@staiain]

i actually got anxieety a bit in the beginning because i thought i had lost the ability to hear it but then i vaguely remembered you had indeed removed the pitch and i was relived

[@SalahEddineH]

This happened to me just this week, I was watching a video from Technology Connections (quite the amazing "Thing explainer" too), and he said "People heard this sound", and I was like "What are you talking about, I'm not hearing anything?" Then it dawned on me that my hearing started deteriorating already. And like you, hearing high frequencies was something I was secretly proud of.. I have no idea why. Bummed me out for quite a while, too.. Stay awesome, Tom Scott, stay awesome.

[@nliberty]

And also, keep explaning things, Technology Connections.

[@flamingorentals6819]

nice trolling at the endcard

[@michaelpayne5272]

What did it say?

[@reworkgaming1202]

Derek Higginbotham you mean the Morse code thing?

[@GaviLazan]

Yes, it's a rick roll.

[@timboooh]

It was a high pitched noise

[@TheLuckyRabbitZ]

"NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP"

[@WardyLion]

Thanks to tinnitus, I have that "old TV whine" in my right ear 24/7...joy...

[@zacharylaw9513]

Im gonna copy and paste this from a page i read a long time ago for a temporary cure for Tinnitus (Although apparently it can stop it with time) - Place the palms of your hands over your ears with fingers resting gently on the back of your head. Your middle fingers should point toward one another just above the base of your skull. Place your index fingers on top of you middle fingers and snap them (the index fingers) onto the skull making a loud, drumming noise. Repeat 40-50 times. Some people experience immediate relief with this method. Repeat several times a day for as long as necessary to reduce tinnitus.

[@prod.hxrford3896]

Does this actually do anything?

[@foxman105]

My dad worked as a military doctor/surgeon and he says it drives him crazy. His left ear is damaged from the repeated shockwaves.

[@Pinkrevenge101]

+Zachary Law covering the ears with your palms so sound amplifies from the fingers hitting the skull? That's interesting what about when taking a shower do the same but instead of fingers you can hear the water dropping onto your skull very clearly.

[@Moselae]

Yep. Despite being young, I didn't notice the high pitched noise in the video because I thought it was the noise in my head.

[@tdoyr]

My ears are still ringing from the end there Thanks.

[@lkivl]

"I'm getting older" >Look like 15 years old boi

[@cottonsheep2367]

Tbh Tom scott is a british george clooney

[@hyfive2111]

definitely not a fox •_•

[@claudius3359]

@@hyfive2111 oh reallyyy

[@emmy3296]

hey what was the old calling noise that was kinda a meme on tiktok?

[@boabuin1151]

@@emmy3296 are you talking about the arabic nokia?

[@thespiffingamerican]

The mores code is and i quote "never gonna give you up" Tom you are brilliant!

[@aidanfitzpatrick-oneill2072]

Jez, I came to learn why my ears ring whenever a box set TV is around and I got a deep personal lecture from this guy.

[@lliddle7616]

The very very high pitched beeps at the end of the video were a nice touch. Not bragging about my hearing. Just glad I have it

[@emmanieuwenhuis2688]

Well, I guess it's hard to tell if you're watching this on a CRT.

[@bencarroll8203]

ok so i took the time to translate the morse code at the end of the video it was " . . ... . .. -. --- . .. .- --. .. ...- . -.-- --- ..- ..- .--.", which translates to, well 'NEVERGONNAGIVEYOUUP' im not joking

[@bepaque]

Phalax I love you

[@MarieKyriney]

Phalax not all heros wear capes

[@mack-about]

thanks, I'm too lazy to check for myself ;)

[@orcmcc]

A) ow B) seriously?

[@flippah9101]

NEVERGONNALETYOUDOWN

[@JustOneAsbesto]

I just went back and rewatched the video, and I couldn't hear anything. (29 years old). And despite any complaining the noise may have caused, the video was at a 34,966 to 379 like to dislike ratio. It was an excellent video and you should be proud of it.

[@TheGuardian163]

which video was it?

[@chocolateskull6239]

If you wear earphones, they can damage your ears.

[@ShirinRose]

I couldn't hear anything at the end and started freaking out (I'm 26 and have been pretty careful with my hearing). But then I tried playing the video on my phone instead of my computer, and I could hear it very clearly...

[@KofoedTim]

Huh. I did the same. I couldn't hear it on my PC, but could clearly hear the high-pitched sound on my phone... so the question now is whether the PC/Headphones failed to play the frequency, or if the phone caused it to be played at a lower frequency which I can still hear.

[@secnep]

Tim Kofoed That doesn't happen, nothing would ever change the pitch if the speaker can't play it. it just doesn't happen.

[@joeking4206]

This is an old video but... don't beat yourself up. Your videos are excellent. I can't believe that "fans" take the trouble to point out your trivial mistakes. Perhaps they should try to do what you do. Keep it up Tom.

[@RobUttley]

I'm 46 now and in the last 10 years my hearing has become dreadful - I realised a few years back that I was basically lip reading in crowded places, pubs etc - and in the last couple of years I have developed tinnitus - on the days it's bad, it's all I can hear and it drives you mad. Absolutely protect your hearing, you'll miss it when it's gone.Take care Tom 😊

[@justingould2020]

There's a weird technique I only discovered recently that helps with tinnitus. It involves placing your hands over your ears and tapping the back of your skull with your fingers. There are a few vids out there about it, but it's definitely worth a shot if you have this issue. Doesn't work for everyone, but does for a lot.

[@AnonymousYoutuber69]

@justin that only works for a couple of minutes at best.

[@melpomeneouranos4973]

Rob Uttley awww, I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope your hearing doesn't get any worse.

[@empath69]

same age, and my physical hearing has always been great (now it's merely 'average for my age' which still FEELS horrible), but struggled with neurological 'figure-ground processing' disability. It's a mixed-blessing; I don't hear so much fascinatingly distracting background noise that I can't focus on the person right in front of me speaking TO me, but I do have tinnitus to the point that I LOATHE a quiet room...

[@YuukiAira-TheAirium]

You just had to put in that bit at the end...

[@Lemstrauss]

Well, at least it wasn't that image from that video that Tom used as a thumbnail for another video and had to apologise for using that image from that video. That would have been really annoying...

[@error404m]

I put 15850hz into a tone generator. Couldn't hear a thing. Damn. (41 years old)

[@AcheForWake]

anthakata 14500Hz is where I top out (37 years old)

[@calvinnyala9580]

The more you age, the lower the high frequency sound you can hear, well in general. Depends on if you had blasted loud music before that age, then it might get lower than average...

[@user-ge4uk9ui8y]

I stop hearing at 14900hz (16 year old here)

[@stan.rarick8556]

I couldn't hear the Morse code (age 73) but I can hear a snake in the grass, so I'm not too concerned (loss of high end doesn't necessarily mean loss of other frequencies) P.S. Actually, not getting rickrolled might be considered a blessing. ;-)

[@artysanmobile]

anthakata Remember that the speaker you put it through may have almost zero output at that high frequency. The flyback transformer, on the other hand, has no such restriction.

[@Dismantled95]

I've always wondered why CRTs did that! Glad I found this video!

[@Isayonelove]

Thank you, Tom, for always delivering quality content and for continuously showing great passion, and compassion, for all things and people in this world. You are an inspiration. Much love.

[@myar4931]

I have the strongest urge to hug you right now.

[@zakramsey3508]

Mya R same

[@GentleMannOfHats]

Me too

[@wondermittens1844]

same

[@MaxIvoWes]

Same

[@maddy3852]

same

[@luuketaylor]

This was amazingly interesting and suddenly heartbreaking, and I wouldn't have it any other way, Tom. Keep making videos for as long as you can, and we'll be here to watch them. (This was uploaded on my birthday, too!)

[@michaelharrison1093]

The magneto restriction comes from the LOPT (Line OutPut Transformer). Original CRT based TV design was incredibly clever - the line output drive (the sawtooth waveform) drove the horizontal yoke which deflected the electron beam horizontally, but at the same time this sawtooth waveform was also fed into the LOPT to step the voltage up to create the high voltage that was needed to drive the electron gun.

[@fredricospalding3420]

Well that was depressing

[@mattbehindthewheel6901]

Fredrico Spalding you know that noise at the end. that was Morse code Rick roll. you got trolled by noises...

[@NytroDesigns]

Fear of losing hearing, I ALWAYS wear ear plugs to concerts, because I can't hear certain high sounds anymore either. It's scary when you realise it, that sudden realisation of "...I can't hear it." and that sinking fear in the pit of your stomach, and then you get angry. Cause you don't want to be afraid. It's terrifying.

[@isaacbailey3681]

_"I don't shut up."_ ~Tom Scott, 2017

[@Dudukina]

you managed to make it both heart-breaking and ear-breaking, wow

[@Efreeti]

I'm about 3 years younger than you and I've also always prided myself on my hearing and ability to pick up high pitched noise. Even as a kid and a teenager I noticed sounds my peers didn't, often to my own agony as they are unwelcome sounds. I still hear sounds others my age don't (office halogen tube lighting ruins me) but I know I won't have that "ability" forever. So I sympathize very very much with your fear, Tom.

[@jackfrost9728]

If you can't hear the morse code at the end card, put a portable AM radio tuned to around 530 KHz up to your computer's speakers. You can clearly hear it thru the AM radio. Turn up your computer's volume to max.

[@stoborking]

Tom even though your getting old we still love you.

[@ultravidz]

At least this video filled the gap in views lost on the other video :) Perfect example of lemons->lemonade.

[@lunalifan]

to make lemonade, you need: a lemon sugar and water

[@ChallengeTheNarrative]

When life throws you lemons

[@TroyVan6654]

Don't make lemonade; make life take the lemons back!

[@CeladonHairExtraordinaire]

Aw I want to give you a hug after hearing the end bit!

[@karmap2502]

Never gonna give you up. That end tho, I just got rickrolled by a high pitched screech

[@sahotaquack1]

How old are you Tom? You look old and young and the same bloody time

[@lukacrnomarkovic8172]

That IS both old and young at the same time

[@skinlo01]

32!

[@nitebomber51]

He reminds me of a young Julian Assange, not sure why

[@talhatariqyuluqatdis]

Starnsworth YESS

[@UnderscoreZeroLP]

+skinlo01 32 factorial?... phew that's OLD

[@doohickey-enjoyer]

My grandfather worked at a miniature railway in Australia. The old CCTV system still had some CRT TVs around in the signal boxes. There were two sets of cameras. Main cams, set up everywhere, and track cams, these connect to signal boxes. When I would be in the box, I could hear the high pitch noise from the TV. If you touch the screen, you'd be zapped!

[@JalnorTheGreat]

Right there with you, Tom. I also heard those alarms when I was 27 but then recall thinking they'd just been a fad and now I have to strain to hear the nonitors in the unfiltered audio...