Photo: High-tech earplugs for fighter pilots

With the ACCES hearing protection system, the Air Force Research Laboratory has turned down the deafening volume of jet engines for its fighter pilots and ground crews. The custom-molded earplugs incorporate specialized electronics and a voice communications cable so that wearers can hear what they need to hear--instructions from ground control, for instance--while shutting out at least 30 decibels of engine noise. The ACCES gear costs about $300 per set, and could soon be headed for commercial use.