The Magic of Silence

Today’s theme, I believe, was the magic of silence. This strongly coincides with the fact that not only did we watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but we visited an anechoic chamber as well. The experience of watching the movie was very… unique. I was used to waiting in line for a mid-night screening, but not with a horrible cold, and the wind outside feeling terribly cold as well. We had to wait a few corners away from the theatre, as a horde of Harry Potter fans collected around the theatre. After what seemed years of waiting, we were finally able to enter the movie theatre. The movie itself was extremely disappointing. What made the day much more entertaining and unique was the true “magic of silence”, the anechoic chamber. In this chamber, the sounds are blocked by walls, and all sunlight is prevented from entering which gives a sort of creepy experience. The first few moments our group went in and we were shut, we couldn’t stop laughing. It felt somewhat awkward, and nerve-wracking to not be able to see each other. I even waved my hands in front of me, unable to see anything. However, after we became quiet, the hairs in my ears began to buzz extremely loud, and I thought I would go insane if I stayed in the chamber for a few hours. What really got to me in the anechoic chamber was the light the tapes emitted. The first time I slowly peeled off the tape, I thought I was hallucinating. But then I realized that there must be some scientific explanation behind it all. Overall, the anechoic chamber was a sort of once-in-a-lifetime experience that was very nerve-wracking, entertaining, and somber.

http://www.audiojunkies.com/blog/503/the-worlds-largest-anechoic-chamber

http://www.oobject.com/category/anechoic-chamber-architecture/

http://www.roger-russell.com/cham2pg.htm

http://www.productwiki.com/light-tape/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/harry_potter_and_the_half_blood_prince/