Thought Experiments : The Blog

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Birdsong and Buffalo

Last night, I had the great pleasure of falling asleep to the sound of birdsong. I'd found it, by chance, where the defunct OneWord Radio used to be, and I was delighted. Sadly, it had gone by the time I first awoke, a couple of hours later. Why, though, isn't there a birdsong channel on radio? It would certainly get listeners - in fact, I believe when birdsong is used as a test transmission, or to keep a channel open, it can get more listeners than the programmes. Television could adopt the same approach too - what could be more restorative than watching, say, a field of cows grazing, or sheep on a hillside? I remember sitting in a 'home cinema' in a TV showroom in New Jersey (don't ask), watching a channel entirely devoted to footage of buffalo grazing on a prairie - the most perfectly restful TV I ever saw. Who needs programmes?

6 Comments:

  • At January 31, 2008 11:45 AM, Blogger Johnny said…

    Aha,so you're the one who buys all of those fish tank/open fire DVDs.

    It's a small step from that to watching Big Brother inmates sleeping, I fear.

     
  • At January 31, 2008 12:37 PM, Blogger ian russell said…

    ''in fact, I believe when birdsong is used as a test transmission, or to keep a channel open...''

    I think that's probably just tinnitus...

     
  • At January 31, 2008 12:58 PM, Blogger mutleythedog said…

    That wasn't birdsong it me at choir practice...

     
  • At January 31, 2008 1:38 PM, Anonymous Tommy Atkins said…

    You're right. I've thought for some time now that the problem with telelvision was the progammes - and, of course, the inevitable and infuriating trailers for them.

     
  • At January 31, 2008 2:54 PM, Anonymous Susan B. said…

    Sounds like the euthanasia scene in "Soylent Green."

     
  • At April 09, 2008 10:56 AM, Blogger Flora said…

    I would love to have a channel like this. I don't know if you're from the UK or not but when they show the live streaming of Big Brother, they sometimes run ambient sounds to silence out conversations for 'legal reasons'. The noises are as if someone has stood in a quiet part of a town and pressed record. You can hear birds, planes going over, trains in the distance, bees buzzing. I don't like Big Brother but late at night the ambient noises is great for dropping off to sleep (until they talk again which kind of ruins the effect!)

     

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