Eli5: what is the noise you can hear when it’s utterly quiet?

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I don’t think it’s tinnitus though all the Google results I got were about it. Last night my partner and I went out into the desert to stargaze, and when there were no cars nearby, we both experienced a constant quiet noise. It’s a hard noise to describe–not a ringing or a whooshing noise, but almost a pulsating kind of noise. Is it the sound of blood going through your ears? Brain making up noises to fill the gaps?

In: Biology

18 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

With it being the desert, its nightlife can have a wide range of sounds…particularly if in the distance being carried through the cold air.

Not to discount other answers, merely havent seen this response yet.

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/21/travel/night-sounds-of-the-desert.html

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