In an attempt to push the boundaries of sound technology, Microsoft constructed the world’s quietest room—a state-of-the-art anechoic chamber costing a staggering $10 million.
This remarkable room holds the Guinness World Record for the lowest sound level, measuring an astonishing -20.35 decibels.
The room’s unique design incorporates layers of sound-absorbing wedges made from fibreglass, creating an environment so silent that it nullifies any noise produced within it.
Located at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, the anechoic chamber is a technological marvel.
The chamber is constructed using six layers of concrete and steel, forming a 12-inch-thick shell that isolates it from external noise and vibrations.
Inside, the walls, floor, and ceiling are lined with wedge-shaped fibreglass panels that absorb sound waves, preventing them from reflecting into the room.
This intricate design ensures that no sound escapes, and none enters, creating an experience of pure silence. You could drum and scream and shout and you still won’t hear a thing.
A journalist once undertook the challenge of staying in this room alone. As the door closed behind her, she was enveloped in an eerie silence and complete darkness, leading her to feel as though she were both deaf and blind.
The absolute quiet was so disconcerting that she couldn’t hear her own thoughts and the sound of her own heart beating. After only eight minutes, the sensory deprivation became overwhelming, forcing her to leave the room, “It was like you were deaf and blind” she said. It took her two hours to fully regain her sense of normalcy and mental balance.
The unsettling experience inspired the creation of a challenge: anyone who can endure the conditions of the room for a full hour will be awarded $5 million.
To date, this challenge remains unbeaten, as the anechoic chamber’s environment proves too disorienting for most people to tolerate for extended periods.
Microsoft’s anechoic chamber not only demonstrates the limits of acoustic engineering but also poses profound questions about the human capacity to withstand absolute silence.
