A woman from Canada discovered she could whistle through her nose when she was just seven; decades later, LuLu Lotus set a world record with a nose whistle measuring 44.1 decibels

Over the internet, we have seen all kinds of records now. Among such witty talents, one such talent belongs to LuLu Lotus. Her unusual talent earned her a place in the Guinness World Records for blowing a 44.1-decibel whistle using her nose. Guinness World Records terms it the loudest nose whistle in the world.LuLu first discovered her skill when she was just seven years old as a way to play pranks on her teachers and other students. LuLu said everyone used to scramble to pinpoint the source of the mysterious whistling sound, with one of the teachers even venturing into the hallway, convinced that it was coming from outside.What makes it even more interesting is that she can actually create melodious sounds using her nose. By using her throat muscles to control the flow of air, she allows sound to escape through her nose when her mouth is closed. Guinness World Records compares the sound to that of a bird call, which also has approximately a similar decibel level.Who'd have thought what started as a childhood prank would someday get her a record-breaking title?How a childhood prank became a Guinness World RecordThe turning point came in her life when she watched a documentary about DJ Steve Aoki, who held a Guinness World Record for being the most-travelled musician in one year. The documentary sparked her curiosity about whether her own unusual ability could earn her something, which led her to do some research, during which she found that Guinness actually has a category for the loudest nose whistle. She knew she wanted to attempt it.She began looking into the requirements and soon realised that measuring a nose whistle was not as easy as simply recording it on her phone. Guinness required specialised sound-measuring devices and a suitable soundproofed room for precision recording. After searching for help from various places, she approached Aercoustics Engineering Ltd. in Mississauga, whose team actually agreed to let her attempt the record free of charge.On June 3, 2022, LuLu officially secured the record with a whistle measuring 44.1 decibels, using a calibrated Brüel & Kjær 2250 sound level meter. During the attempt, she whistled the theme from The Godfather, one of her favourite tunes.For LuLu, the recognition was particularly meaningful, as she had grown up reading Guinness World Records and admiring people with unusual abilities, never imagining she'd herself make her name in the book someday.How does LuLu Lotus whistle through her nose?Since she shared her achievement, netizens have been curious about how she manages to do it, with many attempting to recreate the unusual whistle but failing to get the same results. While ordinary whistling requires air to pass through the mouth, LuLu has mastered a rather different technique by using her throat muscles to control the airflow and produce a sound through her nose.Unlike a conventional nose whistle, which may produce a simple high-pitched sound, LuLu can also control the pitch and rhythm to create recognisable tunes. During her Guinness World Records attempt, she demonstrated this by whistling the theme from The Godfather. What makes her ability particularly unusual is that she can produce these sounds without opening her mouth, turning something most people would struggle to do into a musical performance.Will LuLu Lotus attempt to break her own record? Following the achievement, LuLu has become an internet sensation herself, posting videos of herself attempting to whistle many songs and melodies, and the internet just cannot rest. In her conversation with Guinness World Records, she expressed an interest in breaking her own record someday. Interestingly, the unusual talent seems to run in the family, with her son picking up the skill. Her five-year-old son has also discovered how to whistle through his nose rather than his mouth. LuLu said it would be a dream come true if her son eventually broke her record.What began as a childhood trick to prank classmates and teachers has now become something she can share with her children, turning an unusual personal talent into a family heirloom.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ testGet the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.