The Sunday Read: ‘Could I Survive the “Quietest Place on Earth”?’
The Daily22 Jan 2023

The Sunday Read: ‘Could I Survive the “Quietest Place on Earth”?’

In a room in a modest concrete building in a leafy Minneapolis neighborhood is silence exceeding the bounds of human perception. Technically an “anechoic chamber,” the room is the quietest place on the planet — according to some.

What happens to people inside the windowless steel room is the subject of wild and terrible speculation. Public fascination with it exploded 10 years ago, with an article on The Daily Mail’s website. The article left readers to extrapolate their own conclusions about the room from the short, haunting observations of its proprietor, Steven J. Orfield, of Orfield Laboratories.

“You’ll hear your heart beating,” Orfield was quoted as saying. And, “In the anechoic chamber, you become the sound.”

Much of the lore about the chamber’s propensity for mind-annihilation centers on the concept of blood sounds. Hearing the movement of blood through the body is supposedly something like an absolute taboo, akin to witnessing the fabrication of Chicken McNuggets — an ordeal after which placid existence is irreparably shattered.

Despite this, Caity Weaver, a writer for The New York Times Magazine, wanted to give the chamber a go.

To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(2792)

Friday, July 7, 2017

Friday, July 7, 2017

Donald J. Trump’s life and career have been defined by his legal battles. But what will they mean for his presidency? Guest: Jonathan Mahler, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine; Jay Goldberg...

7 Jul 201721min

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Thursday, July 6, 2017

North Korea’s test of a missile that could potentially strike Alaska has crossed a line, and underscores a dilemma for President Trump and his national security team. Also, how the battle over health ...

6 Jul 201720min

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

When Medicaid was created in 1965, it was barely discussed. But now it’s so big — and so popular — that a proposal to roll it back could sink the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Gue...

5 Jul 201715min

Friday, June 30, 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

As a limited travel ban goes into effect, the Trump administration has defined what constitutes a “bona fide” relationship: who’s close family, and who’s not, for visitors from six predominantly Musli...

30 Jun 201719min

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Thursday, June 29, 2017

The United States says its goal in Syria is to help its allies defeat the Islamic State, not to fight the government. But it’s getting harder stay out of the civil war. Guests: Helene Cooper, the Pent...

29 Jun 201720min

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The Senate vote on the health care bill is off — for now. We focus on Maine, where Senator Susan Collins has been a vocal opponent of the proposal. And what happens to family members who witness polic...

28 Jun 201719min

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

On the last day of its term, the Supreme Court said it would take the case about the legality of President Trump’s travel ban. We discuss the path of the travel ban through the lower courts, the key r...

27 Jun 201717min

Monday, June 26, 2017

Monday, June 26, 2017

President Trump’s promise to repeal Obamacare could come down to one issue: abortion. And how the families of people killed by undocumented immigrants have become an emotional cornerstone of another s...

26 Jun 201719min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
popradet
i-retten
stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-gukild-johaug
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
hanna-de-heldige
fotballpodden-2
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dannet-uten-piano
unitedno