TARGET 150422
Green Bank Telescope
Radio Quiet Zone
Radio telescopes work by detecting electromagnetic waves that come from distant galaxies.
In the foothills of West Virginia exists a town where it's illegal to own any electromagnetic device. That means there's no cell phone reception, Wi-Fi, radio, or television. Why would any place do something like this...and not be Amish?
Simply put, this town exists to observe the wonders of space. Only here will you find the kind of technology that allows us to peer into the cosmos, with all instruments working in the way they were intended. This gives us results that only scratch the surface of our comprehension of the cosmos.
The signals are so incredibly faint that the slightest emission of radio waves from electronic devices can interfere with readings. In fact, a cell phone on Mars would look to this telescope like the brightest object in the sky.
That's why cell phone towers, and even cell phones, themselves, are outlawed for miles around. There are no radio or TV stations, and not even digital cameras are permitted.
In fact, the full boundaries of the device-free zone extend to an area roughly equal to 13,000 square miles. This region is called the National Radio Quiet Zone, and is located around the sparsely populated countryside of West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.
Not even gas cars are allowed in this area. Gasoline engines use spark plugs to ignite the fuel-air mixture, and electric sparks produce electromagnetic waves. Only diesel engines are permitted in cars, farm equipment, and only trucks with diesel engines are allowed to bring in supplies.
All told, the way of life here is decidedly old school. People keep their doors unlocked, talk regularly with neighbors, and live at a much slower pace.
It's also become a beacon for people looking to live in a technology-free zone for health or other reasons.
"Life isn't perfect here," said Diane Schou, one of the first "electrosensitive" immigrants who came to Green Bank with her husband in 2007. "There's no grocery store, no restaurants, no hospital nearby. But here, at least, I'm healthy. I can do things. I'm not in bed with a headache all the time."
For a look at life in the National Radio Quiet Zone, Watch the following video, which interviews the townspeople of Green Bank, West Virginia about their way of life.**
FEEDBACK MAP
If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, more
information, pictures and videos can be found at the following web sites:
Green Bank Site
Green Bank Telescope
National Geographic
Enter The Quiet Zone:
** This 3 minute video was posted on
John Mel's Video of the Day web site.
Original source: National Geographic
Many thanks to Ray McClure for creating this target.