The anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis, the United States, is listed as the "quietest place on Earth" by Guinness World Records. Fiberglass wedges, measuring 3ft (0.9m) deep, surround the space, and the chamber itself floats on vibration-damping springs. Photo: Tribune News Service/Orfield Laboratories/Julian Walter
Can the Quietest Place on Earth cure the phenomenon known as "popcorn brain"?
The term applies to a scattered attention span, exacerbated by social media use, that sends one's brain flitting from one idea to the next, much like kernels bursting in the microwave. I'm feeling it now, struggling to write a column in the face of so many shiny objects – from the next item on my to-do list to breaking-news notifications.
