Huanhuan Duan

"The World Of White Noise"

Section MS13, Rosa Whiteley

Keywords: sound music, air, microscopic, pollution, animation

As we face rapid industrialization, urbanization, and technological advancement, our modern lives are increasingly filled with noise. This not only affects the quality of human life but also negatively impacts health. Noise pollution leads to a unique kind of exhaustion. The World of White Noise engaged in a search for white noise in nature—exploring its oppressive and healing effects on personal senses.

White noise spans a wide frequency range, with each band of equal bandwidth containing the same noise power spectral density. This results in a uniform power across the audible range. Analogous to white light, which is a mixture of monochromatic lights of various frequencies, this even power spectrum is termed "white," hence the name white noise.

Natural sounds like rain, water flowing, and bird songs are the closest real-world equivalents to white noise. In our fast-paced and high-pressure society, white noise can offer psychiatric benefits and help people find a connection to the natural world, fostering communication, calm, and comfort. White noise in nature serves as a potent tool for calming and focusing our minds, especially after constant exposure to fragmented short video information. It represents a personal resistance against the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, a longing to escape the mechanically numb life under high pressure for a more soothing and peaceful existence. Entering the world of white noise provides a temporary emotional sanctuary in the auditory world.