Since we've been talking about stereo signals and wave polarity in class, I thought I'd share some related topics (if you haven't heard about them already).

Most of us know of noise canceling headphones as a way to block out noise, but the folks at ChatterBlocker.com are taking a different approach. ChatterBlocker "uses nature sounds, music and background 'anti-chatter' voices (or 'walla') to mask the intelligibility of unwanted conversations."  The premise here isn't to block out the sound entirely, but rather to render normal human speech unintelligible, thereby eliminating distraction.

Another interesting (and slightly creepy) application is the BrainWave Generator.  Research tells us that our brains emit different types of waves while we sleep, learn, etc.  By recreating these waves with the binaural beats made by this program, you can put your mind into whatever state you'd like (in theory).

who knows if either of these are viable programs, but they're nonetheless interesting to read about.