Crunchy leaves: The sound of Fall

Have you ever wondered why crunching fallen leaves are so satisfying? It is one of the many reasons Fall is my favorite season. When I was younger, I would tip-toe down the street, just looking for the perfect fallen leaves to step on and hear that satisfying crunch.

I am not the first person to ask this question. According to research done at Penn State University, there haven’t been any studies done to explain why we enjoy crunching leaves, but some think that it relates to our love of crunchy foods.

Imagine biting into an apple and the inside is soft- the apple becomes much less appetizing. However, biting into a crisp apple releases a sharp crunch sound. A crunch signals to us that the food is ready to be eaten.

When leaves sit on the ground after having fallen, we know that they are not fresh. They have grown throughout the year and have died. But when we find a crunchy leaf the sound is familiar to us and our brain recognizes the sound to be satisfying.

Seeing the world covered in different colors is one way that I know it is fall. Hearing the leaves crunch makes me want to curl up under a blanket and drink apple cider. Now, when I hear the crunch, I’ll also be craving a nice crisp apple.

 

• Autumn
• fall
• food
• her campus
• Leaves