The human body is so very cool. With many little processes that automatically help us adjust to changing conditions, our bodies are a veritable choreography of pressures, tensions and balances.

A case in point is that popping feeling that sometimes occurs in one’s ears, particularly when flying in a plane. Aside from registering the pop, one hardly pays attention to it. However, it’s a nifty way for the eardrum, which helps us hear anything by vibrating in response to sound waves coming through the air, from getting stretched too tight or broken when pressure conditions rapidly change.

Watch this video to understand just how this marvellous balancing act works: