The Quietest Place In the World

A room so quiet that it will literally drive you insane

(By Edvard Munch — Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. Sotheby’sCurrent high resolution version: http://www.sothebys.com/content/dam/stb/lots/N08/N08850/365N08850_68PZY_siloK.jpgPrevious high resolution version: http://www.blooddirtandangels.com/index.php/2012/02/22/sothebys-to-sell-one-of-munchs-scream-series/Original version: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/impressionist-modern-art-evening-sale-n08850/lot.20.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37640961)

Beginning in 2012, two separate laboratories entered an arms race to create the quietest space in the world. The two players were the Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis and Microsoft in Redmond. In 2013, Orfield Laboratories held the title before being upstaged in 2015 by Microsoft. At the time, Microsoft set a new record with an ambient noise level of (-)20 dbA. Then, in 2021, Orfield returned to form with an even quieter environment at (-)24.9 dbA. And yes, those are negative decibels. These spaces are so quiet they are measured in negative decibels.

As of now, Orfield Laboratories continues to hold the record for the quietest room in the world, but it is not inconceivable to think that Microsoft might one day retake the title. Microsoft’s quiet chamber is not public, but the Orfield room is open to the public for special tours.

So, what does a room with an ambient noise level of (-)24.9 dbA sound like? Visitors describe the experience as uncanny, unsettling, and maddening. That is…