At every minute of every day, it seems, scientists are busily working to cure cancer and save the environment and make better robots who can do our jobs for us, and also to figure out why we hate the ...

EXHIBIT A: "Tink." We look up from the computer monitor and scan the rim of our cubicle when, "tink!" there it is, again. The unmistakable sound of metal on keratin. Someone is clipping their nails.

There are certain sounds nearly everyone dislikes: the sound of fingernails scratching a chalkboard, or of a fork scraping a plate, just to list a few. For many people, hearing these sounds, or even ...

There are certain sounds that drive us batty. For many people, it's nails on a chalkboard. For me, it's the squeaking sound of styrofoam. What causes this reaction? —Brepark, via the Straight Dope ...