How Scientists turned a Cat into a Working Phone

Science is an amazing thing. We have advanced so far as a species due to our understanding of the world around us. Some brave people before us took great leaps in discovery and allowed us to live better lives. The future looks fascinating. Understanding our place in the universe is nothing but beneficial. Once a question is answered, a thousand more take its place. This is the role of the scientist. However, sometimes science can work a little too hard, and entirely by accident, attempt something weird. The limits of a scientific mind see no boundaries, and experiments can get a little out of hand. This is one of those times.

The Experiment

Professor Ernest Glen Wever of Princeton and his research assistant Charles William Bray set out to understand more about how the auditory nerve perceived sound in 1929. They needed access to a real auditory nerve to achieve their aim, so they decided to experiment on a live cat. To acquire access to the cat's auditory nerves, they first opened its skull. They then connected one end of a telephone wire to the nerve and the other to a telephone receiver, resulting in a transmitter. Wever then took the receiver and proceeded 50 feet away into a soundproof room. Wever could hear Bray through the receiver as he spoke into the cat's ears, much to their surprise.

The Results

Their experiment yielded results that were far greater than they had anticipated. The popular belief at the time was that when a sound became louder, the frequency increased. Wever and Bray's experiment supported this notion. They conducted repeated tests on the cat, reattaching the telephone wire to various brain areas and restricting blood flow to the brain to further validate their findings. When those methods failed, scientists discovered that the frequency of the auditory nerve response is proportional to the frequency of the sound. The Society of Experimental Psychologists awarded the couple the first-ever Howard Crosby Warren Medal of Society for their innovative work despite their experiment being controversial among animal rights advocates.

Their Legacy

The frequency correlation's discovery led to further medical advancements and even aided the military during World War II. Bray worked as a psychological scientist for the National Defense Research Council and the Navy throughout the war, and Wever worked as an anti-submarine warfare adviser for the Navy. Wever discovered that musical talent made the finest sonar operators because their ears were finely honed to hear specific sounds. Wever and Bray continued to contribute to auditory science decades after their cat telephone experiment. Their work with the cat telephone paved the way for the first cochlear implants, which were inspired by the telephone wire in the auditory nerve and work in a similar manner.

It fascinates me that even from such a unique, out of the box, nearly pushing on the lines of morality, could provide vital scientific data that would lead us to where we are now. It was because of leaps like this that built the stairs for others to climb higher. We live in the age of technology, and the skies are too low to be our limit. Science will create the future, and experiments will lead to further discovery. It is an exciting time to be alive.

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