Aeroplane passengers may no longer have to yell at each other to be heard. Ultra Electronics of Cambridge, UK, has designed a passenger seat that halves the perceived ambient noise inside most aircraft cabins.

The trick is done through a sound-cancelling device built into the headrests. A microphone samples sound around the head of the passenger with frequencies up to one kilohertz, including the roar of the engines, the hum of the air conditioners and the