Without silences, we wouldn’t have the exquisite hush of medieval lullabies, the suspenseful secrets of the realist novel, or jagged modernist poetry.
Articles on Silence
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The second act of Sondheim’s musical denies the emotional release of song – without which his characters are confronted, confronting and exposed.
From the 19th to 20th century, Native children were physically removed from their homes and put into boarding schools. A scholar asks if that was genocide.
Nighttime is much more than a source of danger or an occasion to party – it’s a portal into a different world, with rhythms, challenges and lifestyles of its own.
Called your ‘inner voice,’ it develops along with your reading skills.
When an attention-based media system always allows the noise-makers to dominate the conversation, it becomes impossible to hear the full range of voices and views.
Your brain may have got used to working from home, here’s how to transition back to the office.
Lockdown may be a socially alienating experience, but for this academic, art has been especially redeeming.
Whether it’s cars passing nearby, a neighbour’s blaring music or the constant drone of a lawnmower, the trouble with sound is that – unlike light – it can be hard to block out completely.
Monasticism developed in part because people were seeking the solace of quiet places But finding solitude was a struggle. And many realized that true silence could be found only within.
From the curious to the serious – a bird’s eye view of the unique ways in which The Conversation covers the world.
Many studies have shown that time outdoors is good for our physical health. Three wilderness education experts explain why periods alone in nature also provide mental and spiritual benefits.
The aliens of A Quiet Place track their prey by hearing something outside the norm.
Is noise the real monster? Or is it our own intolerance of unwanted sounds?
For those who are finding the social distancing isolating, here are some lessons from ancient hermits, who often found joy in being alone.
Top contributors
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Professor of Media Studies, Penn State
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Professor of Early Christianity, Cornell University
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Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Cardiff Metropolitan University
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Assistant Professor, Research Methods, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University
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Emeritus Professor of Environmental Acoustics, University of Bradford
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Assistant Professor of Data Science, University of Virginia
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Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Cardiff Metropolitan University
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Roger J. Kreuz is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Dean and Feinstone Interdisciplinary Research Professor, University of Memphis
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Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis
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Postdoctoral Fellow in Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
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Professor of History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Reader in Vocal Theatres, University of Portsmouth
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Associate Professor and Program Director of Parks and Recreation Management, Western Carolina University
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Professor of English Literature, University of Oxford
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Professor of Outdoor Education, Montreat College