[Tfug] Why do they whine?

[George Cohn]

sitkaa at email.arizona.edu wrote:
> I have noticed those whines in many electronic objects. Through some quirk of
> either genetics or merely attention, it seems that I can hear frequencies that
> most people cannot. Those high pitched whines really drive me nuts.

While I can't hear many high frequency sounds, the one that bugs me the 
most is from the compact fluorescent lamps!  For some reason, some, not 
all of them, have a high pitched whine when they are on.

Years ago, I could hear the flyback transformer whine in old B&W 
television sets.  That's a frequency of 15,750 Hz and right near the 
threshold of hearing for many folks.

As you get older, the whine goes away!  ;-(

George Cohn