The Upshot section of The New York Times has a fascinating look (what’s the aural equivalent of “look”?) at how social distancing measures have changed the soundscape of cities.
Microphones listening to cities around the world have captured human-made environments suddenly stripped of human sounds. Parks and plazas across London are quieter than they were before the pandemic. Along Singapore’s Marina Bay, the sounds of human voices have faded. In suburban Nova Scotia, the noise of cars and airplanes no longer drowns out the rustle of leaves and wind. In New York, the city has been quieter than on the coldest winter days.
Addenda
- The aural equivalent of “look” of course is “listen”, and I don’t know what was happening that I didn’t know that at the time.