CrowdScience Why do I find silence unbearable?
15 snips
Jan 16, 2026 Trevor Cox, a Professor of Acoustic Engineering, explores the intriguing realm of silence and how it’s measured, revealing that absolute silence is an illusion. Marta Moita, a Neuroscientist, shares her findings about how rats associate silence with potential threats, hinting at our own instincts. The discussion delves into the dual nature of silence as both a potential alarm and a source of relaxation, depending on context. Marnie’s visit to an anechoic chamber uncovers the unsettling side of complete quiet, challenging our understanding of silence.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Complete Silence Is Physically Impossible
- Absolute silence is physically impossible because air molecules produce thermal noise and internal body sounds persist.
- Trevor Cox explains we instead perceive relative silence when external sounds drop below masking levels.
Silence Can Signal Danger To Others
- Marta Moita's rat experiments show that silence — absence of normal rustling — signals danger to observers.
- The observer rat froze when background activity sounds were turned off, so silence acted as an alarm cue.
Use Guided Silence To Reduce Rumination
- Try framed, shared silence sessions to reduce rumination and increase relaxation.
- Eric Pfeiffer's studies show short, guided silences—especially outdoors—lower emotional arousal and negative rumination.