A student from Scotland has come up with a novel way to keep noise levels to an acceptable level in the pubs and bars of the UK when two people are trying to have a civil conversation: get everyone to wear helmets made from transparent material with ports for talking and, presumably, breathing.
The device was conceived by a student who was researching hearing damage and impairment. Elaine McLuskey decided to build a two person bubble helmet that enables social interaction even when the ambient noise levels would otherwise render this impossible.
There is no doubt that this invention is a bit on the wacky side and the commercial value of such an innovation might be minimal. As long as you do not mind looking as though you and a mate have taken an intimate dive into two conjoined fishbowls, then you should have no problem with sporting the bubble helmet.
Ms McLuskey said that she had found hearing impairment would be far less problematic for people than the sheer volume of external noise in their environment, which means that most people experience a form of hearing impairment on a daily basis.
In bars and pubs, the cumulative noise produced by cheery revellers, chinking glasses and loud music make it difficult to chat and share news, according to Ms McLuskey. She says that the flamboyant look and attention-grabbing use of her invention will help people to think about the value of their hearing, as well as raising awareness about impairments and aural diseases.
