The anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratories, in the US state of Minnesota, stands out as one of the quietest places on Earth, where visitors are often challenged to endure the sound of their own body's internal noises in an environment that reaches sound levels measured in negative decibels.
Designed to absorb echoes and minimize noise, the chamber's walls are clad in steel and encased in a larger steel box, all within an installation with thick concrete barriers.
The interior is equipped with brown fiberglass wedges that retain sounds and the floor is made up of a suspended net, further increasing the silence.
This unique configuration allows the room to reach an astonishing -24.9 A-weighted decibels (dBA) in November 2021, reclaiming its title as the quietest place after briefly losing it to a chamber in Redmond, Washington, which registered -20.35 dBA in 2015, explains Smithsonian Mag.
The profound silence inside the chamber leads visitors to hear sounds normally drowned out by everyday noise, such as blood circulating in the veins or the blinking of eyelids.
"When it's quiet, the ears adapt. The quieter the room, the more things you hear. You'll hear your heart beating, sometimes you can hear your lungs, hear your stomach rumbling loudly. In the anechoic chamber, you become the sound," explained Steven Orfield, founder of the laboratory, to the Daily Mail in 2012.
This sensory deprivation can disorientate visitors, making it difficult to keep their balance without auditory clues, requiring some to sit down after just half an hour inside and most not to last more than an hour.
As well as being a curious attraction for those interested in experiencing extreme silence, the chamber serves practical purposes.
Companies use it to measure the noise levels of their products in a controlled environment. For example, Harley-Davidson has tested motorcycles in the chamber to ensure that they are quiet enough without sacrificing their characteristic sound.
The chamber also helps astronauts adapt to the silence they will encounter in space.
For the general public, Orfield Laboratories offers several opportunities to try out the chamber. Visitors can spend an hour in the chamber with other people for 75 dollars or opt for a private session for 400 dollars.
In addition, there is a group tour available for 200 dollars that includes a 20-minute session in the anechoic chamber and explores the lab's rich history as a former recording studio that hosted legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan and Prince.
