Have you ever been ignored when trying to talk to someone playing a video game? Or missed your train stop because you didn't hear the announcer when you were checking your phone?
Scientists refer to this experience as inattentional deafness - our natural tendency to fail to notice sounds when our mind is focused elsewhere - and it's common in our daily lives.
The researchers believe this shows that humans' sense of hearing and vision relies on the same neural resources, which are limited and may only be available to one type of task at a time.