2013.02.17 13:00 - The sound of silence

The Guardian for this meeting was Aphrodite Macbain. The comments are by Aphrodite Macbain.

Santoshima Resident: 's current display-name is "San".
druth Vlodovic: hey guys
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello!
Santoshima Resident: hello :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Happy Sunday!
druth Vlodovic: happy Sunday :)
Aphrodite Macbain: I've been listening to a podcast on silence
druth Vlodovic: oh?
Aphrodite Macbain: by a "sound ecologist"
Aphrodite Macbain: He says there are 5 protected silent areas in the US.
Aphrodite Macbain: that silence is an "endangered species"
Aphrodite Macbain: the best silence is in Hawaii, and no sound can be found inside the volcano!
Aphrodite Macbain: funny that I have just been given a book on silence
druth Vlodovic: when I go visit family in Bancroft one thing that strikes me is the silence

Aphrodite Macbain: because you can't hear the Queensway?
Aphrodite Macbain: everybody is so silent!
druth Vlodovic: where I live you can always hear traffic
druth Vlodovic: there are roads everywhere
Aphrodite Macbain: I mainly hear traffic and get so used to it that I stop hearing it. I suppose there is also a difference between sound and noise
druth Vlodovic: they say the electric cars are quiet, it might be better for us in several ways if we adopted them :)
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- electric cars are silent and pollution free
druth Vlodovic: even sounds you are unaware of become obvious when they are absent
Aphrodite Macbain: or when there is an absence of certain sounds - like traffic, you hear other sounds, like birds
--BELL--
Aphrodite Macbain: Walking through Stanley Park is amazing - suddenly I hear all these bird calls
Wol Euler: evening all
Aphrodite Macbain: Hiya Wol
Santoshima Resident: evening Wol
Aphrodite Macbain: welcome
druth Vlodovic: hi wol
Aphrodite Macbain: we were just talking about sound, silence and noise
Wol Euler nods.
druth Vlodovic: funny how silence is so prized where people go to think
Aphrodite Macbain: and how silence is becoming a rare commodity in our world
druth Vlodovic: monasteries, libraries
Aphrodite Macbain: peace
Aphrodite Macbain: where do you go for quiet?wol? san? druth?
Wol Euler: home :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Is it quiet there? No traffic noise?
Wol Euler: well, quiet is always a relative term
Wol Euler: when I think of quiet, I think mostly that nobody is talking at me, in which I include radio, tv, etc
druth Vlodovic: I don't have quiet places, but at home I never play music for background, so I preserve what quiet there is
druth Vlodovic: things that demand your attention
Wol Euler nods.
druth Vlodovic: as opposed to "white noise"
Aphrodite Macbain: filler - one drowns out the other
druth Vlodovic: what is it like in the mountains Aph?
Aphrodite Macbain: ah- so quiet except for the sound of the wind
Aphrodite Macbain: grey jays
Aphrodite Macbain: blue jays
Aphrodite Macbain: chickadees
Aphrodite Macbain: and the occasional scream of an elk
Aphrodite Macbain: and, depending on the wind direction, the sound of the traffic from the TransCanada highway or a plane on its way to Vancouver!
Aphrodite Macbain: sigh
druth Vlodovic: lol
Wol Euler: hello korel
druth Vlodovic: visiting my uncle in Toronto I used to imagine that the traffic was the sound of a distant waterfall
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles, I’ve done that!

Aphrodite Macbain: Hello Korel
druth Vlodovic: hi Korel :)
Santoshima Resident: hi Korel
Korel Laloix: heya

Aphrodite Macbain: The suggested theme for this week is "others"
Aphrodite Macbain: There are so many directions we can take that.
druth Vlodovic: "silence" is good too
Aphrodite Macbain: sure
Aphrodite Macbain: Korel - wb
druth Vlodovic: an interesting experience, actually, sharing silence with others
Aphrodite Macbain: as in a silent retreat?
Korel Laloix: Heya...
druth Vlodovic: never been to a retreat
Santoshima Resident: avi was stuck ... was preoccupied
druth Vlodovic: it is a rare moment of trust to share silence
Aphrodite Macbain: what occasions have you been in a place where you are in silence with others?
Santoshima Resident: with others
Aphrodite Macbain: in a silent retreat?
Santoshima Resident: sure, but whenever ~ just need to listen carefully for any silence
Santoshima Resident: that's when real conversation takes place
Aphrodite Macbain: how so?
druth Vlodovic: "communing"
Aphrodite Macbain: conversation with yourself?
Aphrodite Macbain: I am a bit anxious about sitting and eating in silence with others.
Santoshima Resident: why?
Santoshima Resident: what is the worry?
Aphrodite Macbain: I fear I might make too much noise
Santoshima Resident: oh
Santoshima Resident: what will happen if you are too noisy?
Aphrodite Macbain: Don’t know….I have this need to fill the silence with chatter
--BELL--
Santoshima Resident: i'm not sure that's possible
Santoshima Resident: silence is silence
Santoshima Resident: chatter is chatter
Aphrodite Macbain: I wonder whether the silence allows you to hear your internal chatter better.
Aphrodite Macbain: recognize it.
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Zon - welcome. We're talking about silence
Zon Kwan: shhh then
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Korel Laloix: I have had some powerful experiences in silence, but also in very open communication.. so I think they both have their uses.
druth Vlodovic: funny, while "commune" is a word, "mune" isn't really; try automuning, being in companionable silence with yourself :)
druth Vlodovic: hi zon
Aphrodite Macbain: …just the sound of typing was heard in the land…
Wol Euler: hello zon
Santoshima Resident: hello zon
Zon Kwan: hey all
Korel Laloix: But we use silence so infrequently, that maybe it can be more useful.
Aphrodite Macbain: how Korel?
Korel Laloix: In this day of constant stimulus... maybe trying out silence as something different could have its advantages.
Aphrodite Macbain: allow us to be calmer?
Korel Laloix: Or focus on non verbals.
Korel Laloix: Or let us communicate with ourselves more.
druth Vlodovic: it takes a kind of courage to be silent
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Korel Laloix: But the use of silence I think can be cultural.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- silence isn't emptiness necessarily
Aphrodite Macbain: It is an absence of unwanted noise
Korel Laloix: And so much can be said with a touch, vs a word.
Santoshima Resident: http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/22-yea...rs-of-silence/
druth Vlodovic: or wanted noise :)
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks San - looks interesting. I'll save it for later
druth Vlodovic: what have you found in silence Korel?
Korel Laloix: I have had some very vivid, I guess you could say, cultural experiences.
Aphrodite Macbain: as a result of silence?
Zon Kwan: waves silently
Korel Laloix: When you are in very new experiences, and you can't us words to express your thoughts, you find ways.
druth Vlodovic: have fun zon
Aphrodite Macbain: Bye Zon:-)
Korel Laloix: And in those moments of silence you find parts of yourself to chat with that you did not know existed.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- gestures, movement, touch as you say
Korel Laloix: Lets you reflect in ways that are not normally accessible.
Aphrodite Macbain: the language of the eyes
Santoshima Resident: painting (again), bye ~
Wol Euler: bye
Aphrodite Macbain: waves to San
Wol Euler: take care
Aphrodite Macbain: paint quietly
Aphrodite Macbain: I was thinking of the relationship between silence and the topic of the week, “others”. How noise seems to come from "others" and how sounds come from "us"
druth Vlodovic: "If you were happy, son, you wouldn't have to say it" (from san's link :)
Korel Laloix: We do make a lot of our own distractions.
Aphrodite Macbain: Wol- have you had to deal with sound, silence, sound proofing etc in designing buildings?
Qt Core: hi all
Aphrodite Macbain: Germany seems to be ahead in a lot of these issues- environmental pollution extends to sound pollution
Wol Euler: that is taken into consideration, yes, but we have never gone beyond the amount of sound control that the local planning laws enforce- so not really
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Qt
Wol Euler: hello qt
--BELL--
druth Vlodovic: hi qt
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you think more should be done? Is it expensive to build a quiet building?
druth Vlodovic: It would be interesting to make the buildings in a city sound-absorbing- make everything quiet
Aphrodite Macbain: mmm
Aphrodite Macbain: an inside out building
druth Vlodovic: I'm not sure that all noise comes from outside though
Wol Euler: "quiet" is always a relative term :)
druth Vlodovic: for me the most deafening noise comes from my own head
Wol Euler: yes it costs more to make any building more *anything* than the standard
Aphrodite Macbain: Maybe you could insulate with felt and create absorbent surfaces on inside and outside.
Korel Laloix: Let’s blame architects... smiles
Aphrodite Macbain: no, let's blame our priorities
Qt Core: and then too much quiet seems to be not really nice: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thin...inations/11153
Korel Laloix smiles
Korel Laloix: OK.
Aphrodite Macbain: sensory deprivation
Korel Laloix: I like to have music playing when I study.
Korel Laloix: Or someone else in the room.
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you listen to it?
Aphrodite Macbain: or does it become a handy piece of furniture?
druth Vlodovic: it would make for an interesting city Qt, lots of places for birds to nest
Korel Laloix: Not really.
Qt Core: when i had to study i needed my radio on, so the source of noise was known and i didn't get distracted by "mysterious" street sounds
Korel Laloix: Just drowns out things that might really distract.. or maybe gives me the sense of company.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- that's white noise, background noise. What would happen if we had complete silence? Nothing except the sound of breathing and the turning of pages or keys typing?
druth Vlodovic: does anyone meditate in silence, or do you use music and such?:

Aphrodite Macbain: I don’t mind if there's background noise. But a sudden loud noise or a strange noise would distract
Korel Laloix: My meditation is while running... which is not that safe really... but it works for me.
druth Vlodovic: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thin...iterally/10536
druth Vlodovic: I want one :)
Aphrodite Macbain: J   -  Bertram's meditation is in 6 minutes btw
Wol Euler: ty

Qt Core: the first years i chatted in English i needed silence, especially no songs with lyrics (especially not in Italian) as it messed up my languages
Qt Core: and now i got used to char and even just read in silence
Aphrodite Macbain: interesting Qt
Qt Core: only company... pc fans
Wol Euler smiles.
Korel Laloix: Oh I agree.. I can't listen to First American music and study... English is OK though if low.
Aphrodite Macbain: wonder what that's about. Perhaps how the brain is structured
Qt Core: i should try dialectal songs and Italian books, just out of curiosity
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- you can do an experiment.
Aphrodite Macbain: let us know what happens!
druth Vlodovic slipping off
Aphrodite Macbain: bye meditators
--BELL--
Korel Laloix: Off to Lent service.. ciao all.
Aphrodite Macbain: bye
Qt Core: bye
Wol Euler: bye, or see you at berti's
Aphrodite Macbain: take care.
Aphrodite Macbain: see you later Qt-hope all is well with you
Qt Core: :) bye Aph