Your moments of silence (The Sound Barrier #5)

Unexplainable

Vox

Science, Natural Sciences, Life Sciences

4.6 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode is a follow-up to The Sound Barrier series, which explores our brain's relationship to sound. In our third episode of the series, we asked listeners to try to experience silence and record what they heard. Today, we share the sounds of quiet from across the world in a tribute to John Cage’s 4’33”. Plus, Tinnitus researcher and Unexplainable guest Dan Polley answers your questions from the series. Guest: Dan Polley, tinnitus researcher at Mass Eye and Ear. Thank you to everyone who wrote in and shared their silences. If you still have thoughts or questions about the series, write us! We also heard from a few teachers who plan to use the series as a part of their curriculum. Is this you? Let us know! For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtranscripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unexplainable⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And please email us! ⁠⁠⁠⁠unexplainable@vox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. We read every email. Support Unexplainable (and get ad-free episodes) by becoming a Vox Member today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/members⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:09.5	Terms and conditions apply. just a minute.
1:33.3	Yeah, just a minute.
1:59.4	I just finished the third installment of your sound barrier series, which my cat and all both appear to have loved.
2:04.9	So I had to stop doing my dishes to come and record something.
2:16.8	It is the day before Thanksgiving. I was cooking some cornbread while you guys had that section of silence and I heard the sounds of cracking eggs and the mixer going.
2:23.3	I heard the brush of my finger against my cheek,
2:29.3	and I heard the electronic noise of the inside of my headphones.
2:37.7	It was interesting to me when Noem had us experience silence together.
	...

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