Which raises the questions: Why the sudden interest in anechoic chambers, and why can absolute silence feel so terrifying? Piacsek oversees Central Washington’s anechoic chamber, a 12-by-12-foot room fitted on all sides with sound-absorbing wedges situated in alternating right angles. Perhaps a better understanding of this could help explain why some people enjoy being in an anechoic chamber while others find it unsettling. THE RACE TO BUILD THE QUIETEST ROOMThe world’s first anechoic chamber, built in 1947 in Murray Hill, Massachusetts, held that title for years. Despite the popularity brought by the “challenge,” the Orfield chamber still plays an important role in research.