inner ear
"The inner ear is like the shell of a snail. It is called the cochlea. The vibrations make waves in the fluid"
"In effect, our inner ear is like an instrument with thousands of tuned strings, played upon by air vibrations in our environment. The range of possible interactions between those ''strings,'' all registering different segments and intensities within the sound spectrum, accounts for the enormous variety of tonal impressions we can experience."
"Imagine the balance part of the inner ear is like three hula hoops filled with motor oil. The three hoops are all oriented in three different planes, and together they act like a gyroscope. The fluid inside the hoops shifts when you turn your head, and that fluid shift triggers the little nerves lining the inside of the hoops (called hair cells) to tell your brain which direction your body is moving."
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.