For the source text click/tap here: Bava Kamma 53
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According to the Mishna (52a) if the noise from digging frightens an animal into falling into a bor (a pit or hole in the public domain) the person who is responsible for the bor will be held liable for damage to the animal. Sudden, surprising noises can affect people and cause them to lose their balance and fall. This is certainly true of an animal which likely will react to an unexpected noise that emanates from a place that it cannot see, causing it to fall into the bor.
We explore the notion of acoustic trauma and its effect on the brain and falling.