Unexplainable A show about nothing
22 snips
Apr 20, 2026 
Noam Hassenfeld, a producer who explores scientific mysteries and sound, joins to probe the question of how to make something that sounds like nothing. He recounts experiments that reveal our discomfort with silence. He reflects on John Cage, performing 4'33", crafting deliberate stretches of silence, and how shared quiet reshapes listening.
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Silence Is An Experience Not Nothingness
- Silence is not absolute absence but a perceivable experience shaped by internal and external sounds.
- Noam and Rayja Go discuss philosophical views and John Cage's insight that internal bodily sounds make 'silence' audible.
Score With Silence When Telling Sound Stories
- When producing audio about silence, gradually introduce silence and treat it as a scoring element.
- Noam purposely 'scored with silence' by sprinkling short silent posts before longer stretches to acclimate listeners.
John Cage Heard His Own Body In The Quiet
- John Cage's anechoic chamber visit revealed he heard two sounds attributed to his nervous and circulatory systems.
- That experience led Cage to compose 4 minutes and 33 seconds, making ambient audience noise the piece itself.