The Man Trying to Save Silence

Gordon Hempton is on a personal quest to preserve silence in nature. The “sound-tracker” circles the globe recording vanishing sounds, including the most elusive one of all: silence. Twelve years ago, Hempton resolved to find the quietest place in Washington's Hoh rainforest, itself a haven of silence. According to Hempton, the area he found is precisely one square inch. But that little area of quiet-which holds incredible value for the Earth-is endangered. Now, Hempton is determined to protect it from noise pollution like overpassing jets, lest we lose one of our country’s last remaining silent places.
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[@Ilovewhatever]

I do not think, he means literal no noise but no noise as in people talking or cars planes etc. I feel like he wants to preserve the peaceful sounds of nature.

[@aletoledo1]

Also, he's allowed to make noise there, just not the rest of us neanderthals.

[@harristengku7153]

aletoledo1 please rewatch the video he isn't making much noise and he just said cars and planes not humans

[@BHFFS]

But surely there most be somewhere in the US that has less noise pollution. For example the vast majority of Alaska is uninhabited.

[@lpp4880]

He's like the extreme asmr guy

[@ginjerrussell3866]

BHFFS yeah, he said it’s the only one in the “lower 48” [states] implying that the northern states have silent places as well :)

[@joshuasills2783]

It's ironic how we have to speak out, for silence.

[@smacky1704]

r/iam14andthisisdeep

[@joshuasills2783]

Ape man Commeth yes, I feel really bad for people who cannot leave the city or town they are in and see how amazing the night sky is without the city lights. some city's are so bright you cannot even see a star at night.

[@johnvuu4679]

aw snap, new slogan

[@connorh3398]

Joshua Sills That's wise as fuck

[@VictorLuna6383]

1k liked on this comment

[@deshxbm]

introvert career choices.

[@nathanawesome10]

deshxbm nothing wrong with wanting silence. Sometimes I'd love to just be by myself to relax

[@potatohead7740]

i hate "choises"

[@kauviz8195]

nice engrish.

[@uplifthaddock4546]

Choices

[@Ab_someone]

deshxbm 😊 tht is what I am considering.. tis is my thing.

[@TheVibhavbisht92]

If they manage to get that legislation passed, the Hoh valley will market itself as one of the quietest places on earth. This will inturn draw huge crowds of tourists who will make sure that the quietest place tag remains only on paper. Unless the actual aim of this organisation is to draw more tourism, it shouldn't go ahead with it s plan. Just let the place be.

[@xxxxxx5868]

Vibhav Bisht Dude ikr

[@suneenough]

The legislation is supposed to prevent that.

[@michaelschefke5505]

Not true. They have been shattering attendance records these past 5 years

[@Greapes]

Baby: cries Him: “Sorry, it’s nothing personal.”

[@itsguardiantime4928]

Him: *Pulls out a revolver* "It's just business"

[@NiqIce]

It must be done

[@ulisesr614]

@@itsguardiantime4928 Either put a silencer on that revolver or use a knife. We’re trying to stay civilized here.🧐

[@andynbae7727]

Not all heroes wear capes

[@isabellabornberg2153]

Andyn Bae +

[@maia9557]

Andyn Bae my stupid self read "Not all herpes wear capes"

[@trlittletoaster]

But I do bitch

[@sepehrantoinerahimi6288]

they wear a Rolex lol

[@loiteringhermit8307]

Not all comments are original

[@nawanitdhungel6675]

You guys deserve millions of subscribers

[@k___a___d___e8327]

Nawanit Dhungel honestly I wonder why they don't.

[@republic-ld3hq]

Great Big Story will do

[@hatdogatpuso]

Great Big Story let me borrow your ride i will go to people

[@kushagarwal3564]

Well, I would say Billions!

[@m4rwah]

XStrawBarry Milk ikr

[@Larstig81]

In Iceland are places with absolutely dead silence. No noise of vehicles, animals, people or from nature itself.

[@aleks3796]

Lars A but in the USA didn't you hear?

[@wayward4657]

This isn't the only quiet place in the US. There's a ton of it in Alaska as well as many forests, the Grand Canyon, Middle of the desert, and mountains.

[@pyramusk3264]

I agree. That guy in the video is all wrong.

[@MegaSnippezz]

Same with Ireland

[@Emily-cj9nc]

Its dead silent sometimes in New Mexico

[@kianamojica3959]

I wish these videos got as much views as Buzzfeed. People don't know what they're missing

[@Nhoj31neirbo47]

I once spent a week alone in the Hoh Valley. My mind gradually became extremely quiet without any effort on my part. It felt wonderful and so peaceful. For that reason and the stupendous abundance of nature that is found there, the Hoh is my favorite place. ~ It wasn't made clear in this short video but what the gentleman means by silence is the absence of man-made sound. Nature in the Hoh Valley is not silent.

[@minidwarfdude9230]

He's gonna freak when he finds out about noise cancelling headphones

[@GeeaRCee]

mini dwarfdude So as sensory deprivation tanks and anechoiec chambers.

[@DiePixelkrieger]

Sadly those Headphones are noisy af

[@nowuknow5807]

Ha ha

[@s.y.7866]

I know your comment is a joke but it's really different. I remember visiting a Japanese temple on my trip to Japan and I was so impressed by how quiet it was there. The sound of birds chirping, the cold air, and trees all around is quite amazing. Very huge contrast compared to my country (Philippines)

[@Mindlessyesterday]

He's gonna freak to find out mom's can make everyone shut up in the world with a belt

[@min3089]

I love that there are people like him to pursue his advocacy not just for himself but make difference or purpose on our planet. great content 👍

[@solacefaded]

"Unless we take action" *picks up a rock* I like his style.

[@revandenburg]

We go camping in the Olympic National Forest every year on the 4th of July to escape all the noise. We Love, Love, Love this place Beautiful, Quiet, Natural.

[@Leah97526]

I've traveled in all 50 states and truly, this is the most beautiful place in the entire country!!

[@neelima6460]

I too always craved for silence..and this man is awesome and this forest is a heaven.🌿

[@ragnardanneskjold6791]

Once I was camping in Death Valley. I walked up an embankment (maybe 30-40 feet) onto a small plateau that overlooked the campground. Here I noticed a strange silence - the quietest place I had ever stood. I heard, literally, nothing. I laid down on the ground for a while to minimize my movements because even the slightest one could be heard. Totally surreal experience. Definitely the quietest I've ever heard anything.

[@antonvinther31]

I love what this guy do, and that forest is absolutely beautiful.

[@iahelcathartesaura3887]

Gordon Hemptom, Dean & Dudley Evenson. And also Johnnie Lawson. I need silence desperately. The noise in this world breaks my mind & soul. It makes me dry up & hurt inside & cry.

[@justiceneeded01]

This "spoke" to my soul 🖤 And a part of it hurt when he said in 10yrs silence will be extinct 🙁

[@MSP106]

Really tho? The last silent place in the U.S? Have you been into the mountains of Colorado? The hills and valleys of Arkansas? The slow moving river banks in Mississippi? The huge barren dry desserts of Arizona? I'm sorry, but noise pollution has not corrupted the rest of our country. Either way, great video. :)

[@epicscreenname989]

Micah Prock I'm sure you've done your research

[@ratgirl1111]

Micah Prock there is a difference between quiet and silence. True silence is rare and dying because sound carry from everywhere. Sure those places are quiet and peaceful and deserve great deals of preservation. But he's trying to protect that true silence.

[@1224chrisng]

Also , the Room with Spiky Walls in that Veritasium Video

[@1224chrisng]

Also , the Room with Spiky Walls in that Veritasium Video

[@thankyouverymochi]

Micah Prock I once spent my time hiking in a forest near Long-Island USA. it is still quiet and silent. USA is lucky to have a good landscape and forest to go hike. I lived in a city in Indonesia and I can't enjoy hiking like I did in USA.

[@lamichhane]

Yeah, absolutely true. The "beauty" of music is just a illusion, the real beauty is the silence

[@SaunieHolloway]

Thank you Gordon Hempton, for the silent parks and your wonderful contributions to Bird Note.

[@Love-sr3nk]

Silence is pure bliss to me. Super peaceful and quiet in the Winter. People talking just to talk is some of the worst noise pollution out there.

[@bayuaji3850]

i was once going hiking at night, trying to reach the top of local mountain. i arrived there around 3 A.M and it's the most beautiful silent I've ever been to. just bird chirping and winds blowing the trees

[@brynnashcroft3734]

you guys have grown so much recently, keep up the great work!!!

[@DrewJPS]

Fast becoming the unmissable channel of KZbin. Utter class.

[@y.a100]

it was beautiful and at a same time felt like a granola bar commercial

[@cindy5975]

Thankyou for speaking up for silence

[@shermainetan23]

Silence is truly Gold! I love Great BIG STORY! Keep going!

[@Meme_dumpy]

i love his voice it's calm and satified because there is no stress and poeple in the forest

[@samheppener7878]

LOVE IT WHEN U GUYS POST

[@JM1675]

A few years ago I canoed into a cave in Phong Na Vietnam. There's an area in the middle of the cave that's pitch black and completely void of noise. Lying there on the sand, surrounded by water, in the dead of night, eyes closed or open made no difference, not hearing a single thing. It was a crazy experience that I still think of often to this day. I'd like to revisit a place like that soon.

[@wongsaraf]

Shot at 2:20 is so beautiful I almost not believed it was real, almost looks like its a CGI or painting. Many thanks for people who make this three minutes of wonder.

[@bikinggal1]

Even though I live in a city, I have long periods of silence in my home...even at night. windows open...obvioulsy not SILENT like this video...but I appreciate it!

[@kurtisseufzer]

I can't imagine the hordes of birds this dude has probably massacred just to retain that silence

[@nickb816]

I've been watching cinema sins, so I have to point out that when he says silence, he means lack of man made noise. minus one accuracy point, but still really cool. I love the olympic national park as well. Definitely a must see for everyone.

[@nicolereynolds5571]

I LIVE NEAR THERE!! I'VE BEEN THERE, IT'S BEAUTIFUL

[@boobtube2142]

Ironic that you type this in all Caps.

[@karifurai8479]

Г Г - not really, because you can't hear text, no matter how large it is

[@stephenf85]

Just a thought of curiosity but does that exclude birds? or sound proof rooms/Labs? Antarctic? Iceland? Grand Canyon? Middle of the desert where Tony stark crashed? deserted islands? the deep woods of West Virginia? ice lakes in Alaska? The out outback of Australia? the amazon? If birds don't count does wind count? Mt. Helen? Mount Everest? the deepest surfaces of the ocean humans can't travel to?

[@James-jo9dj]

Stephen Foster its least noise polluted area not completely silent its just the title

[@stephenf85]

Okay I can live with that

[@zanemyers8004]

Stephen Foster I live in West Virginia and there's places you can walk miles and miles on public land. You hear a plane everyone once in a while but that's it. There's days I've been out in the middle of the Monongahela National Forest and not heard a thing once you get away from the road.

[@Failedprodegy42]

Did you watch the video? He clearly said the most silent area in the US.

[@sreejithvodatt]

Perfect .

[@TheSolitary1]

I love humans who appreciate Nature and its beauty

[@crestfallenknight7983]

I fully support this man, the sound pollution is bewildering these days.

[@augustriandyrizkymaris2894]

every video from this channel is verry addicting, also full of unique knowledge

[@clambismable]

I wonder if this can beat the forests of Japan in terms of silence. When I went, the lack of people AND noise-making wildlife was eerie and serene at the same time. It was like being underwater.

[@paugosset1]

thank you for this lovely video.

[@PasscodeAdvance]

Silence is a blessing.

[@neftalymoretechevarria6007]

Thank you for all your hard work!

[@danielward5164]

It’s official, this is not the most boring job I have ever heard of

[@nafiat9238]

Anyone scrolling down the comment sections while watching?

[@kgbhoneytits105]

Cat Future yes

[@billyg.o.a.t1240]

Cat Future yup

[@thoai1000]

Yup

[@nay3662]

Cat no

[@noonenoone6843]

Cat yes

[@Kobekola]

*Me when my cousins are at my house and i hear them climbing the stairs*

[@kds5895]

Kobe Kola underrated

[@marianamendoza3927]

The first time i heard of this advocacy... thank u

[@bikramdas01]

One on the best tranquil places in the US. Loved the place!

[@hibye2166]

Every video is awesome thank you guys

[@Luckzo]

I work in a shopping centre, people are noisy for the sake of being noisy. Rarely hear anyone say anything beautiful This is just so beautiful

[@nishaismail]

What a beautiful place. Would love to go there one day.

[@westtrojan12]

What happened? I watched these videos because of subtitles but now the latest ones don't? I'm disappointed since I'm hard of hearing.

[@ButterCupcake008]

There's subtitles now

[@mlizeng]

E Ozeroff There still are subtitles for me! If you're on mobile, you can click on the gear button on the top right side of the video screen and there should be an option for English subtitles/closed captions. It should be the same on desktop.

[@isabellabornberg2153]

E Ozeroff +

[@muhilan8540]

there are subtitles

[@andrewc3336]

E Ozeroff The subtitles aren't always ready as soon as the video goes up, so if there aren't any just wait on hour.

[@sharmainesanjuan582]

Why is this so calming.

[@worldsounds8368]

Great video! Gordon Hempton is a legend!

[@sidkul3766]

2020 Feb : The forest is awesomely beautiful.

[@robbiepeterh]

When he’s whispering at 1:40. I had to laugh at that moment. 😂

[@BrettsGarage]

I like the idea and the movement. Great video.

[@youssefrochdi1994]

It all starts here indeed. Let's start by preserving our environment, then the human issues we have will sort themselves out

[@clapoutloudclapoutloud]

Very inspirational, very inspiring, relaxing to silence is golden,.......

[@Donkeydoodoo42]

Antarctica is pretty silent

[@sohailislam3416]

😂😂😂

[@diegopena8360]

But it's melting

[@oraakkeli]

My home country, Finland, has a lot of silence. With a 1 hour drive from the capital, there are many forests with dead silence, apart from the sounds of the forest itself. It truly is amazing.

[@matthewbolton1709]

The wind is horrible though

[@ravin2363]

@@oraakkeli I love silence and jungle sounds. I think I would love Finland. 😊

[@dasinflames17]

I know a place which has no sounds from human sources, animal or leaves from any vegetation and almost no wind. Just unbelievable. It makes that forest really strident. Where? a small valley in the North of Chile, called Valle samo alto

[@anniewilling2975]

I love it when you guys post videos like this and inspire me and other young people.

[@amyamy1507]

Yes! 🙌 I love this guy and his mission

[@user-lt1ky5wd9c]

What a respectable man !!

[@irfanulkarim4992]

Love this channel.

[@molliecoles5182]

Love ❤ love ❤ love ❤ I love silence thank you for sharing I would love to go there

[@go3119]

This video made me feel very calm, I just realised how invasive technology really is.

[@leaguecarrypro]

I walk deep into and woods and can hear absolute silence... maybe it’s even quieter like a noise insulated room?

[@ariholder4762]

I live in New Zealand's second biggest city and at around about 1 am there is no noise what so ever. If you go out of the city and away from any roads then the silence reaches an entire different level.

[@annagerman8718]

Ray Bradbury has been quoted as saying, “We bombard people with sensation. That substitutes for thinking.” We drown our thoughts in noise and sensations to not face problems, to not face silence because silence means no distraction which leads to thinking. People are afraid of thinking because that is a very dangerous and a very destructive tool of the mind. Food for thought.

[@aqibhidayat9398]

love your videos, keep it up guys

[@tomcormier1523]

I promise that silence of Nature won't EVER disappear.

[@charliewatts23]

I’ve been in the middle of nowhere in Arizona, that is a damn quiet place

[@davidspielmannn]

Gordon reminds me to John Locke from Lost. Keep up the good work by the way!

[@Zwenska]

great youtube recommendations lately ! :)

[@imkindahungry04364]

That guy has a nice Rolex Datejust 👀

[@VILL4IN]

@@ubbdaubermensch1528 you could also say trying to record silence is pretty useless lmao

[@stephencrum530]

One man that changed the world...

[@deenanthekemoni5567]

Come up here to Maine, I tell you some of our woods are so isolated, you wont hear anything for miles.

[@JV-qn6ys]

This guy would kill it as a character on "A Quiet Place"

[@sheldonsaz8005]

I admire his passion ❤

[@titavaughns7698]

Yes please! That would be amazing

[@scarymonsters9130]

It is 2:40am, when the title card came up it was so quiet that it just took me aback and like zoned out but I was aware I was zoned out it was indescribable

[@shonaassang1053]

this is awesome. I hope it all works out.

[@OrthoKarter]

Its sad to see such beautiful nature sounds be ruined by man-made sounds. we need more people like this man, to protect it at all costs.

[@reyudarbeii481]

LOVE THIS CHANNEL

[@bluesandroots2008]

😭Much respect from Japan sir your act is zen😭

[@nivroxa7766]

I agree with this guy, we should protect nature and silence

[@mycultureisbetter]

I was camping just a few miles from there at Hoh lake and was woken up by the loudest boom I ever heard in the middle of the night. I think is was some kind of Airforce drills.

[@dreamsteddybearsmaster]

I aspire to one day experience the sounds of silence in this place....

[@pleasefeedmewaxworms]

i watch this and im like "i think the dessert/antarctic might be more quiet" rainforests are teaming with life and sound

[@sahadqasim6220]

Save mankind from the noise!!! 😂 love it

[@gangasinghrathore4709]

Excellent thinking guys love you

[@joshuasantiago788]

I love this channel

[@simplejorna.5762]

May God grant you Sir with your good purpose.💓🙏💕

[@remaguire]

Hmmm. I've been camping in the Coal Valley of the Basin and Range National Monument. Absolute silence while I was there.

[@sunjoke2385]

My teacher should join him since all he asks is silence.

[@bikelambo123]

that's cool. i live in Washington. gotta visit that place.