Gerrard Kaonga
Going to the 'quietest town' in the world and hoping to tell your friends and family about it while you're there actually might prove pretty difficult.
A lot of us have gotten pretty used to having our phones on us.
We use them for direction through Google Maps, hop onto social media to see what people are saying on Instagram and TikTok, and even just listen to music on Spotify.
Well, in this one town in America, you won’t be doing any of that - in fact, these things aren’t really available, because they are illegal.
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Green Bank, West Virginia is home to just 52 residents as of 2023, and WiFi and other wireless devices are banned.
It’s considered to be a quiet zone, so, I’m sorry to say, you won’t be updating your socials while you're out there, as the town is completely free from phone signal and radio airwaves.
The reason is because having them could cause massive disruptions to scientific endeavors close by. There’s a large telescope located there, as well as other scientific equipment from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, so wireless devices could infer with the important kit if used within the zone.
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The documentary, Small Town Universe, has dived into the town and even highlighted the rumors attached to the town, including that there is a secret network of nuclear bunkers under the telescope.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, the film’s director, Katie Dellamaggiore, spoke about why she found the town fascinating.
She said: “The town's unique, unplugged lifestyle immediately caught my attention.
“It was even more intriguing that scientists use the Green Bank Telescope to explore some of science's biggest mysteries, like how the universe began and whether there's intelligent life beyond Earth.
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“The residents of this tiny Appalachian town aren't connected in most modern ways, but over time, I observed a more profound connection they shared, bonded by the pursuit of scientific knowledge.”
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Dellamaggiore even noted that simply being in the town was changing her own behavior.
She said she was relying on her phone less and less, and she began to enjoy the peace of it all.
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Despite the enjoyment she found, the locals are getting a little bit tired of the lack of internet. They have begun demanding more access to modern technology, ultimately putting the quiet zone under threat.
Dellamaggiore also reflected on this and said: “While I understand the desire for access to common-place technology, it's disheartening to think that one of the last intentional quiet zones may soon become a thing of the past. We should strive to preserve this unique place on Earth.”