MUSIC has the power to delight the listener, improve well-being and uplift the soul. But sounds have more malign uses too. The beauty of the music produced by the Sirens of ancient Greek legend drew unwary sailors to their doom on the rocks. And in Britain calls have been made this week to ban the use of the Mosquito, a high-pitched-noise generator that is used to disperse groups of unruly teenagers from congregating points such as shopping centres and housing estates. Campaigners say that it is unfair to subject the young to a discomforting sound that only they can detect—older ears are no longer sensitive enough to detect the Mosquito’s din.
