The class was meeting in the Danger Shop today because it was extremely hot outside and Fraser thought it better for what he had planned.

"Good morning," he greeted, smiling at each student, "and welcome back. Today, we're going to be talking about hearing. Your sense of hearing is oftentimes overshadowed by your sense of sight and sense of touch. People don't need to hear things to be able to discern what's happening around them or what's coming but it's very, very helpful. Hearing enables you to hear the faint sounds of someone calling for help, the sounds of sirens from far away, the sounds of someone whispering in your ear and many, many other important things. You might be able to hear something that you don't immediately see. That's going to give you the ability to be on your guard and expecting something."

Fraser tapped each of his ears and smiled. "I use my ears a lot. In my line of work, chasing down criminals is almost commonplace. When they have a head start and are out of your line of sight, hearing is what I use. If you close your eyes and cup a hand around your ear, you might able to hear their footfalls a few streets over or hear trashcans hitting the ground as the suspect climbs over them. It's all about blocking out other stimuli around you and listening."

Fraser knew that was easier said than done but he had confidence in his students. "Today, that's what we're going to be doing, trying to block out stimuli to hear something important. It's difficult when there's a lot of things coming at you from all sides so take your time and concentrate."

He started the simulation and there was suddenly a very, very busy mall in front of them, teeming with people of all ages and buzzing with noise of all kinds. "In this crowd, there's someone calling out for help and it's your job to hear them. They are yelling but there's so much noise that you're going to have to really concentrate. Block out the other noises, close your eyes, put your hands in your pockets, whatever might help you to pick up a noise that you might not normally hear. Sound good? All right, let's do it."