Merri Meanders

A dark, soundproof listening room with a single, meticulously designed loudspeaker positioned slightly off-center on a slender stand. The speaker has a matte black front baffle, a subtle waveguide around the tweeter, and a finely textured midrange cone. The rear wall is covered in deep blue broadband absorbers, while the sidewalls feature wooden diffusion panels with precise geometrical patterns. A calibrated measurement microphone stands quietly in the sweet spot, its thin cable trailing to a compact analyzer box on a low shelf. A focused pool of warm, dimmable spotlight from above creates a gentle vignette around the speaker, leaving corners in soft shadow. Photographic realism with a cinematic, low-angle composition evokes introspective, critical listening sessions for psychoacoustic research.

About Merri

Meet the scientist behind this roaming lab notebook of ears, neurons, soundscapes, and stories.

About

Listening to Brains, Across Worlds

I’m an auditory neuroscientist following sound from lab bench to busy streets, concert halls, and quiet forests. Here I unpack how brains make sense of vibration, and how listening shapes memory, language, and our experience of travel.

About me
A meticulously detailed close-up of a high-end over-ear neuroscience research headset resting on a matte charcoal lab bench. The headphones have brushed aluminum yokes, deep navy acoustic padding, and a thin braided cable curling toward a partially visible audio interface with tiny illuminated level meters. In the blurred background, shelves of labeled sample vials and a calibrated sound level meter hint at a professional auditory lab. Soft, diffused daylight from a frosted window washes across the scene, creating gentle reflections on metal surfaces and subtle shadows under the headset. Photographic realism with a clean, modern aesthetic, shot at eye level with a shallow depth of field, conveys a calm, focused atmosphere suitable for a professional auditory neuroscience blog header.
A highly detailed, cross-sectional model of the cochlea rendered as a physical teaching specimen on a matte white plinth in a minimalist lab classroom. The spiral structure is enlarged and textured, with individual hair cells, basilar membrane gradients, and labeled regions painted in restrained, natural tones rather than bright toy colors. Behind it, a softly blurred whiteboard shows faint, hand-drawn tuning curves and frequency maps. Neutral, even ceiling light illuminates the model, casting crisp but gentle shadows that accentuate its three-dimensional form. Shot at eye level with a moderate depth of field and centered composition, the photographic realism and calm, clinical mood make the image ideal for explaining inner-ear mechanics in a professional context.
A long, straight forest trail captured from a low, forward-facing perspective, flanked by tall, dense pines and scattered mossy rocks, representing a meditative soundscape walk. The path’s compacted earth shows delicate textures of fallen needles and small pebbles. Tiny dew droplets cling to grass close to the camera. Early morning overcast light diffuses softly through the canopy, eliminating harsh shadows and lending subtle contrast to greens and browns. In the distant background, a hint of mist blurs the far trees, creating depth. Photographic realism with a natural, minimalist aesthetic, shot using the rule of thirds and moderate depth of field, evokes a serene, attentive mood suited to a neuroscientist’s reflections on listening to the natural world.
A nighttime urban scene captured from a balcony, focusing on the subtle visual cues of a city soundscape. In the foreground, a solid black railing with tiny droplets from a recent rain is sharply focused, while beyond it a multilane road curves gently, dotted with diffused red and white light trails from passing vehicles. A distant elevated train passes over, slightly blurred, and small illuminated windows punctuate dark building facades. Sodium-vapor streetlights cast warm pools of light, contrasted with cooler blue reflections on wet asphalt. Photographic realism with a shallow depth of field and diagonal composition creates a contemplative, mildly moody atmosphere, illustrating the complex acoustic environment an auditory neuroscientist might analyze in the real world.