Silence can be ‘heard’ and distorts perception of time: Study
Comparable to optical illusions that deceive visual perception, auditory illusions occur when listeners “hear” sounds that defy conventional expectations
A team of philosophers and psychologists have discovered that silence possesses the ability to not just be heard, but also to manipulate individuals' perception of time.
Through the use of auditory illusions in a study involving 1,000 participants, it was revealed that silence can create a distortion in the perception of time.
Comparable to optical illusions that deceive visual perception, auditory illusions occur when listeners "hear" sounds that defy conventional expectations based on the circumstances of their creation.
"We typically think of our sense of hearing as being concerned with sounds. But silence, whatever it is, is not a sound - it's the absence of sound," said lead author Rui Zhe Goh, a graduate student in philosophy and psychology, Johns Hopkins University, US.
"Surprisingly, what our work suggests is that nothing is also something you can hear," said Zhe Goh.
During the research, scientists adjusted well-known auditory illusions, including the 'one-is-more' phenomenon.
Traditionally, participants tend to perceive a single long beep as being longer than two short consecutive beeps, even when the durations of the two sequences are equal.
In this study, the scientists reversed these illusions by introducing brief intervals of silence that abruptly interrupted soundscapes representing bustling environments such as busy restaurants, markets, and train stations.
Chaz Firestone, an assistant professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, who directs the Johns Hopkins Perception & Mind Laboratory said, “Our approach was to ask whether our brains treat silences the way they treat sounds. If you can get the same illusions with silences as you get with sounds, then that may be evidence that we literally hear silence after all.”
The researchers found the same results - people thought one long moment of silence was longer than two short moments of silence.
In the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers observed consistent results indicating that individuals perceived one extended period of silence as being longer than two shorter intervals of silence.
Researchers said, the idea was not simply that these silences made people experience illusions, but that the same illusions that scientists thought could only be triggered with sounds worked just as well when the sounds were replaced by silences.
"The kinds of illusions and effects that look like they are unique to the auditory processing of a sound, we also get them with silences, suggesting we really do hear absences of sound too," co-author Ian Phillips, professor of Philosophy and Psychological and Brain Sciences, said.
The findings establish a new way to study the perception of absence, the team which intends to investigate visual disappearances and other examples of things people can perceive as being absent said.
Chef Asma Khan calls for an end to macho kitchens and celebrates older women in professional cooking.
Advocates unionising hospitality and improving working conditions across the industry.
Explains founding the Second Daughters Foundation to support girls’ education in India.
Discusses the political role of food in promoting labour rights and dignity.
Redefining kitchens and leadership
In the latest episode of Shami’s Speakeasy, chef and campaigner Asma Khan joined host Shami Chakrabarti to discuss justice, feminism, race and the politics of food. Chakrabarti described Khan as “not so much a celebrity chef as a revolutionary chef.”
Khan highlighted her all-women team at Darjeeling Express, many of whom are grandmothers, calling it “a powerhouse.” Rejecting the macho culture of celebrity kitchens, she said the average age of women cooking in her kitchen is 50, demonstrating that older women are central to professional cooking.
Unionising hospitality and work-life challenges
Khan spoke candidly about labour conditions in hospitality and the impossibility of perfect work-life balance for shift workers and entrepreneurs. She called for restaurant workers to unionise, reflecting on exploitation during COVID and ongoing staffing pressures: “Without collective action, we can never get anywhere.”
She also shared her approach to parenting and entrepreneurship: “There is no word called ‘balance’ for some of us. The only way out is to forgive yourself and keep going.”
Second Daughters and food as a force for change
As a second daughter, Khan founded the Second Daughters Foundation, supporting girls’ education in India through school meals and practical assistance for those most likely to be kept at home.
Khan also described food as a political tool, using it to “shake the world gently” while emphasising labour, dignity and respect alongside ingredients.
Episode details
Shami’s Speakeasy: Asma Khan is available on all major podcast platforms from 15 October 2025. Additional resources and artwork inspired by the discussion will be shared in the Speakeasy Zine on the show’s website and to subscribers.
Asma Khan is the founder of Darjeeling Express, London, and an advocate for dignity in hospitality and women’s rights. Shami Chakrabarti is a human rights lawyer, legislator, and broadcaster who hosts Shami’s Speakeasy as a forum for honest conversations on values, ethics and social change.
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