But the most significant change in modern science is not just about the amount of noise, but how we experience it. Noise is no longer understood solely as a problem that affects hearing, it is also recognised as a systemic environmental pollutant. Transport noise is now one of the leading environmental cause of illness in Europe, second only to air pollution.

  • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I moved to a rural area in early 2025.

    Its so quiet. Sometimes Douche Baggins is running his or her turbobdiesel F4000 dually down the road too fast, but usually its just wind, roosters, frogs, and bugs.

    Before this I lived in a suburb. Roaring cars constantly. There was a period of two months where semi trucks were driving down the street in front of the house one right after the other, constantly, day and night. A stroad down the street was noisy all the time.

  • moldy_rice@piefed.keyboardvagabond.com
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    7 days ago

    I’m very curious to see this study replicated in Latin America.

    My experience here is dreadful. I have stress, insomnia, and irritability from the constant noise from traffic (there’s a near constant blast of cars with megaphones repeating an amplified voice of some merchant selling something like gas or brooms or juice or buying scrap metal or whatever).

    On the other hand, most of the locals literally don’t notice the noise. They can sleep through it all, even fire alarms.

    The evolutionary argument is interesting, but I really want to see this study repeated and confirmed in cultures that are largely ambivalent about noise pollution

    • rollerbang@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      I hear you, absolutely dreadful. I also wonder how can people ignore those “sounds” so effortlessly.

      • overcast5348@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        It’s just what you’re used to, in a way.

        I grew up in a noisy third world country and could’ve slept through a drummer 10 ft away. I then moved to a first world country and have now gotten used to the relative silence that I experience here, despite living in a downtown area of a major city. Going back home to visit my parents is a nightmare because I the up waking up a million times every night because of all the sounds around.

        Visiting cousins/friends who live in the suburbs of my new country gives me the creeps because of how much more quieter it is. So I end up getting nightmares of being in some post apocalyptic world when I stay over at their places. So, I can’t sleep through complete silence either. 🤷‍♂️

        • rollerbang@lemmy.world
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          7 days ago

          I’m not convinced. It must depend on the person. I’ve lived in such a country for way over a year and I could never get used to it.

          • moldy_rice@piefed.keyboardvagabond.com
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            7 days ago

            When you’re a a baby that falls asleep on a rickety ass bus bouncing around and blasting Latin music with loud brass instruments, it’s the comfort that rocks you to sleep.

            If you experience that all through adolescence, it’s normalized. When you’re adult that’s lived through it your whole life, it’s normal.

            That’s completely different than someone getting used to it

            But I still think it’s unhealthy for everyone, as the article points out

  • CH3DD4R_G0B-L1N@sh.itjust.works
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    7 days ago

    I’ve had seedlings of this idea earlier this year so I’m happy to see this. It’s my fault for letting it rile me up so much, but neighborhood security cameras that make fuckass noises or yell “HI UR ON CAMERA” anger me to a likely unhealthy degree. They take a peaceful enough morning dog walk through a relatively low traffic noise neighborhood and shatter my peace of mind absorbing what little nature sounds I can. I’ve already made peace with myself that everyone now is too big a paranoid piss baby that they have to have their doorbell cams and other cams hoovering up my image into the panopticon against my will and consent. But then to have them fucking talk at me is beyond the pale.

        • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca
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          7 days ago

          I’d bring an air horn with me

          I’m so tired of assholes just ruining things for others, if it’s going to happen to me then we’re all going down, fuckers. I’m not going to just tolerate the bullshit and abuse anymore

          like LED headlights. if I can’t see, my LED high beams are turning on so that you can’t see either. I didn’t start this, you did. sorry to the people behind the offending driver that I am possibly affecting but can’t even see. that asshole driver will just keep doing the same thing if they don’t feel any consequences.

      • moldy_rice@piefed.keyboardvagabond.com
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        7 days ago

        They’re popular in my country. The camera swivels to follow you as you pass, and when someone walks by it screams over and over

        YOU ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE

        …which is doubly insane because only like 10% of the population understand English in this country

  • culprit@lemmy.ml
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    6 days ago

    Cities Aren’t Loud: Cars Are Loud

    Urban noise is a common problem, and the vast majority of it is created by motor vehicles. Noise is far too often dismissed as a minor nuisance, rather than the legitimate health issue that it is.

    The book “Curbing Traffic” has a chapter about the health impacts of noise pollution. I explore the research in the book, and visit Delft, the city that is highlighted in the book as being a shining example of what can happen when noise pollution is taken seriously.

    This video explores the problem that farting cars, farting motorcycles, and farting mopeds create in our cities.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTV-wwszGw8

  • chunes@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    ironically, cars are the only thing that allow you to live a quiet life out in the country

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      7 days ago

      Nah, just live in a reasonable country with public transportation that runs through the country.

      Hell, even the US has trains that mostly go wayyy out in the middle of nowhere

    • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca
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      7 days ago

      nah, that’s just because people want the convenience

      you can absolutely do this without owning a personal motor vehicle, and getting around by public transport or bicycle or other means and having building materials and whatnot delivered by truck

  • moldy_rice@piefed.keyboardvagabond.com
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    7 days ago

    As I read this, I hear the truck selling gas blasting it’s “gas for sale” tune. And the neighbor’s blasting bad music. And dogs barking.

    It’s 07:00 AM.

  • ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    7 days ago

    Leaf blowers are even worse. I thought about it recently, and literally every time I’ve lost my temper in the last 25 years, it’s been because someone was making noise.

  • deft@lemmy.wtf
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    7 days ago

    I’ve said this ever since I found out rabbits die of stress.

    You’re only allowed to use a jackhammer a certain amount of time from what it does to your body.

    This environment is too loud and too much for us.

  • BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    The biggest damage isn’t from cars, It’s in schools. The amount of loud ass kids at once is unbearable. And your children are exposed for years to this shit

    • AHemlocksLie@lemmy.zip
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      6 days ago

      And your children are exposed for years to this shit

      Homie, our children are this shit, they’re the noise. I’m not sure they mind since they probably don’t really hear anyone else over their own shrieking. Kids treat every day like a lung day workout, just really stress testing that diaphragm and the vocal chords.