View Full Version : Woman who cannot recognise anyone's voice but Sean Connery's


waichingliu81
10-30-2008, 10:37 AM
Thu 30 Oct 11:15 AM
The only voice she knows: Sean Connery

Sir Sean Connery's Scottish brogue is one of film's most distinctive voices, but for one British woman diagnosed with a rare condition it's the only voice she can recognise.

Phonagnosia is normally linked to those who have suffered a stroke or brain damage. However a 60-year-old woman, known only as KH, is the first known case of someone born with the condition.

She is unable to recognise anyone's voice, including those of family members, and has to use a system of code words to identify callers.

The woman underwent a series of tests at the University College London to work out if she could pick out the tones of famous people. She failed to identify Joanna Lumley and David Beckham among others, but instantly recognised the iconic tones of Connery.

Dr Brad Duchaine, who's been studying the case after KH contacted a science magazine, said, "Voice recognition may not seem as important as face recognition, given that failing to recognise someone in front of you can cause much more social anxiety than not recognising them over the phone. Yet we rely on voice recognition in our day-to-day lives, to identify people on the phone or those speaking on the radio."

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/30102008/5/only-voice-knows-sean-connery-0.html

TripperFan
10-30-2008, 02:30 PM
I've heard of other cases like this. It sure is strange how our brain works!


I'm sure if it were ever to happen to me, I'd recognize James Earl Jones' voice forever! I love his voice. ;)

*Pleasant Tomorrow*
10-30-2008, 04:13 PM
Oh, I know why. He scared her into it. Sean Connery isn't afraid to smack a lady, no sir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Xj3N-IYbU

TJL
10-30-2008, 06:04 PM
She doesn't recognize voices of people she knows?

What do voices sound like to her?

That is strange.

catlover79
10-30-2008, 06:08 PM
WOW!! :eek:

catlover79
10-30-2008, 06:09 PM
I've heard of other cases like this. It sure is strange how our brain works!


I'm sure if it were ever to happen to me, I'd recognize James Earl Jones' voice forever! I love his voice. ;)
"Cathie, I am your father." ;) :rofl:

AB
10-30-2008, 07:22 PM
That certainly is strange.

TripperFan
10-30-2008, 10:11 PM
"Cathie, I am your father." ;) :rofl:



Mufasa My Hero!!!


(That, or I'm Luke Skywalker and you're Darth Vadar)!!! ;)

InspectorExstead
10-31-2008, 12:28 AM
that's reaaaaally weird. never heard of anything like this before.

TJL
10-31-2008, 01:21 AM
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this...

So the voice of someone like say her sister sounds exactly the same as her brother?

That's amazing.

I'm going to lie down now. My head hurts.

;)

Hollow
10-31-2008, 01:37 AM
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this...

So the voice of someone like say her sister sounds exactly the same as her brother?

That's amazing.

I'm going to lie down now. My head hurts.

;)
i think other voices don't necessarily sound the same to her, but she can't link them to her memory. no idea what would make sean connery so special though.

Schmoopie
10-31-2008, 01:42 AM
That is totally bizzare, but I bet he'd be flattered if he knew about this!

Andrea

TripperFan
10-31-2008, 01:25 PM
i think other voices don't necessarily sound the same to her, but she can't link them to her memory. no idea what would make sean connery so special though.


That's exactly it. It happens in the memory area of the brain - only instead of visual, it's an auditory defect.

The brain is amazing. I know when I was at my worst over the summer, I would forget what I had done 3 mins. before but can remember stuff vividly from years ago. I'd have to write everything down in order to remember it and even then, sometimes when I looked at what I had written, I couldn't recognize my own writing or the fact that I had written it.

I'm surprised that I didn't post the same thing several times in threads actually. Drove my friends nuts with the same question over and over again.

Hopefully she'll recover from it with some therapy. If not, for Christmas, someone should buy her a set of Connery DVDs! ;)

catlover79
10-31-2008, 02:18 PM
Mufasa My Hero!!!


(That, or I'm Luke Skywalker and you're Darth Vadar)!!! ;)
:clap :clap :clap :rofl: :brent

ekkostar
10-31-2008, 03:45 PM
This thread wouldn't be complete without You the man now, dog!

TJL
10-31-2008, 08:12 PM
This thread wouldn't be complete without You the man now, dog!

You asked for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X-R6yKa99g

;)

80sTrivia
11-01-2008, 08:14 AM
I think she's Mrs. Moneypenny! ;)

ekkostar
11-01-2008, 05:46 PM
You asked for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X-R6yKa99g

;)

This version is even better!
http://ytmndic.ytmnd.com/