Even though you might wander out into the wild in search of a place where sound no longer interferes with your senses, you will find that sound is everywhere. What we call silence is actually not the actual meaning of the word itself. There is only a handful of places on this planet that can even be called silent. The noise of everything in mankind, the wind, and even your heartbeat keeps your environment from becoming completely silent. So what does the quietest place on earth sound like? To understand it, you first have to know what silence really is. The fact is, the record for someone staying in the quietest place on earth is 45 minutes. After that amount of time, the person couldn’t stand it anymore.
Do you think you could do better? The thing is, this room, which is located in Minneapolis and is housed in the Orfield Laboratories, is a build to marvel over. The room, called an anechoic chamber, is built in a way that completely destroys any noise that might travel inside its walls. It’s basically a room filled with noise traps that keep sound from bouncing anywhere (if there is any).
If you stand in the room by yourself, you will notice that it quickly becomes unbearable. Why? Because the silence actually starts making a noise of its own. Your senses will be heightened, and very soon you will start hearing the blood in your ears pulsate and your heart pumping away. Even your breathing becomes an annoyance. It can be quite a traumatic experience. This room has been recognized by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the quietest place on earth. Next time you wish for a quiet place, think of this one and know it can actually be a horrific experience. It’s much more enjoyable to have a little noise around you. After all, we are alive, so why not enjoy the sound of life itself, right?
Image Credit: [Bruce Kluckhohn]
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