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How Restaurants Got So Loud (theatlantic.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: Other sounds that reach 70 decibels include freeway noise, an alarm clock, and a sewing machine. But it's still quiet for a restaurant. Others I visited in Baltimore and New York City while researching this story were even louder: 80 decibels in a dimly lit wine bar at dinnertime; 86 decibels at a high-end food court during brunch; 90 decibels at a brewpub in a rehabbed fire station during Friday happy hour. Restaurants are so loud because architects don't design them to be quiet. Much of this shift in design boils down to changing conceptions of what makes a space seem upscale or luxurious, as well as evolving trends in food service. Right now, high-end surfaces connote luxury, such as the slate and wood of restaurants including The Osprey in Brooklyn or Atomix in Manhattan.
This trend is not limited to New York. According to Architectural Digest, mid-century modern and minimalism are both here to stay. That means sparse, modern decor; high, exposed ceilings; and almost no soft goods, such as curtains, upholstery, or carpets. These design features are a feast for the eyes, but a nightmare for the ears. No soft goods and tall ceilings mean nothing is absorbing sound energy, and a room full of hard surfaces serves as a big sonic mirror, reflecting sound around the room. The result is a loud space that renders speech unintelligible. Now that it's so commonplace, the din of a loud restaurant is unavoidable. That's bad for your health -- and worse for the staff who works there. But it also degrades the thing that eating out is meant to culture: a shared social experience that rejuvenates, rather than harms, its participants.
This trend is not limited to New York. According to Architectural Digest, mid-century modern and minimalism are both here to stay. That means sparse, modern decor; high, exposed ceilings; and almost no soft goods, such as curtains, upholstery, or carpets. These design features are a feast for the eyes, but a nightmare for the ears. No soft goods and tall ceilings mean nothing is absorbing sound energy, and a room full of hard surfaces serves as a big sonic mirror, reflecting sound around the room. The result is a loud space that renders speech unintelligible. Now that it's so commonplace, the din of a loud restaurant is unavoidable. That's bad for your health -- and worse for the staff who works there. But it also degrades the thing that eating out is meant to culture: a shared social experience that rejuvenates, rather than harms, its participants.
I'm posting this dummy text because when I post in a thread my moderation points that I just used here are removed. I accidentally downvoted when I wanted to upvote. Why can't Slashdot give me the option to change my moderation, like any other website does that allows voting on comments?
Some of us believe in world peace. It is almost as practical as a wall separating a massive border between two countries.
There is nothing wrong with trying to solve a problem, but border control is as effective as pixie dust. The solution is to set realistic standards that convince the people trying to get in to meet those standards. If the requirements seem unachievable or overly complicated, people will lose hope in ever achieving them and therefore choosing to circumvent them instead.
If you set the requirements to a reasonable level and set the standards high enough to require the immigrants to actively contribute to making America better, the problem will likely solve itself.
If you lack faith in people (most pro-border control generally do), you should believe completely that there is no forceful solution to the problem. You have to manipulate the people into participating in a system that is designed to offer a legitimate compromise that is as fair as possible to all those involved.
Of course for such a system to work, it would require people to let it work. Two party politics ensures this will never be the case. If you really want to find a real solution to the problem, consider voting against both parties in the future. Let the government know that you are tired of their bickering and you are done with your country being run by fools who have turned politics into team sports instead of representation of the people.