Depeche Mode perform live at Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich. Singer and songwriter Dave Gahan on stage with guitarist Martin Gore, Switzerland, June 2017. Getty Images
Depeche Mode perform live at Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich. Singer and songwriter Dave Gahan on stage with guitarist Martin Gore, Switzerland, June 2017. Getty Images
Depeche Mode perform live at Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich. Singer and songwriter Dave Gahan on stage with guitarist Martin Gore, Switzerland, June 2017. Getty Images
Three decades ago this year, the electronic band Depeche Mode released the song Enjoy the Silence, one of their biggest hits ever. Chances are that when Martin Gore, the band's main songwriter, penned the song he had little idea that it would become the perfect soundtrack to the lockdowns adopted by so many countries around the world over the past months to slow the spread of coronavirus. Because for the first time a lot of us living in cities have been experiencing a dramatic decrease in noise pollution and therefore enjoying a form of silence on the streets.
You might have been one of the many city dwellers who revelled in this urban silence. For me, sleeping with my windows open and not being woken up by loud people returning from a party in the middle of the night but by birds singing in the morning was a first in Aix-en-Provence, where I stayed part of the time.
Talking about the positive things that have come out of the Covid-19 crisis so far is tricky, to say the least, and could be perceived as insensitive and lacking empathy for those who suffered and still do. Given the death toll and the dramatic consequences in terms of health, economic and society that are ahead of us, it is difficult to truly appreciate any unintended consequence, even if it is beneficial to the environment and our lives.
The main street Le Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence, southern France on March 20, deserted due to a strict lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. Clement Mahoudeau / AFP
The decrease in air and noise pollution was significant for a while. Yet, this new found silence has been disorienting, at least at the beginning. Not just because it was a reminder of the seriousness of the Covid-19 situation. But also because we are not used to silence since noise is embedded in urban life, unfortunately.
An anechoic chamber is a room that can absorb all sounds, noises and even electromagnetic waves
During my first night walk in the empty city, it felt really strange. It somewhat reminded of an experience I had during a trip I made to Sydney, Australia last summer to spend time with the members of the research team of my company. Our research and development facility is located on the beautiful, and very quiet, Macquarie University campus. Some of the university’s researchers with whom we collaborate to better understand the brain’s auditory system invited us to visit their anechoic chamber. That was an unusual experience.
An anechoic chamber is a room that can absorb all sounds, noises and even electromagnetic waves. Even the floor is a suspended mesh to avoid noise when one walks. These chambers allow us to study our auditory system, to test audio gear and are used by aerospace agencies so their astronauts can be trained to get used to silence in space. Once inside, you can experience true silence – you start hearing the “mechanics” of your own biorhythms.
If you don’t move, you can hear your breathing rhythm, and some report hearing their own heart beat. A lot of people, after a few minutes in an anechoic chamber, can feel dizzy because of the novelty of the experience. How sad that we are so used to noise that we find silence disturbing.
Another reason why the Depeche Mode hit fits so well with the current times is because of the paradox it reminds us: words break the silence. And speaking about the silence itself is no exception.
During the lockdown, noise prevented me from truly appreciating this silent parenthesis. The annoying noise I am referring to is the noise made by echo chambers and digital wildfires. There was the noise made by those who overnight proclaimed themselves experts in epidemiology or crisis management, gurus in working from home or stress and anxiety management.
More recently we have had to suffer the predictions of those who, despite the lack of experience or data, know what “life after” is going to look like. Add to that their supporters and opponents fuelling digital wildfires with fake news and no wonder this noise was unbearable.
Even when we have the best intentions in mind, warning about fake news on social or traditional media means that we are advertising these pieces of fake news. Raising concerns about inaccurate information with a thoughtful message to debunk it constitutes a risk: it can bring this news to the attention of people who may not have heard it otherwise.
A concrete example is when heads of state have been advocating coronavirus treatments that could be dangerous. The person who started the fake news is responsible. But so are those who spread it – even by opposing it they put lives at risk.
For centuries, there has been an ongoing debate regarding whether or not we have free will. One thing for sure is that we have “free won’t”. The power “not to”. Not to comment and share information that is unverified or still under investigation, for example.
Being informed is a human right. But enjoying the silence should also be one. Given how unbearable the noise made by echo chambers has become, I wonder if we could create digital anechoic ones.
Professor Olivier Oullier is the president of Emotiv, a neuroscientist and a DJ
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios Director: JP Dutta Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane Rating: 2/5
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Red flags
Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
