A Phenomenon

Cronos

<div class="IPBDescription">Ever noticed it?</div> Have you ever sat at a table, talking with your friends in an extremely engaging conversation and then suddenly...

Silence? As in, the whole table shuts up at once and an uncomfortable silence pervades all those sitting at the table, until some brave soul decides to break the silence either by coughing or starting a new conversation or even picking up where they left off?

This is what I term the "Silent Table Phenomenon"

The phenomenon itself is unremarkable, probability dictates that it should happen every now and them. But, the mindbreaker is this. WHY? Why does the silent table phenomenon occur? I noticed this phenomenon years ago, occasionally I think about it, and it was during recent silent table phenomenon a few days ago that my interest piqued.

The silent table phenomenon isnt just limited to tables either. I've noticed that at times (albiet more rarely) the entire room can fall silent. I got thinking, if the phenomenon can occur at the table and classroom sizes, could it occur on even larger scales? Such as, the entire school falling silent for a few seconds? Or, perhaps even the entire planet?! Naturally, the odds of the phenomenon occuring on very large scales are slim at best. The table phenomenon is rare as it is, the room phenomenon, rarer still. I'm sure that entire schools have fallen silent, but went unnoticed by many, and I'm damn sure that the entire world cant have fallen silent.

But, back to the main gripe. Why does this happen? Why do people fall silent at a table for no apparent reason whatsoever?

I remember hearing wind of a theory that said peoples conversations are like musical instruments, and when the table falls silent it is just that all the peoples conversations have "synchronised" and hit a pit all at the same time. Another theory states something simialar, but it's to do with brain waves or something or other.

Speak of the devil. As I was writing this, the entire room fell silent <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif'><!--endemo-->

Am I the only one that actually notices this phenomenon as it occurs? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif'><!--endemo-->

Or am I just nuts <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->

Discuss...

Burr

yeah, it happens, iv'e experienced it before. Its creepy.

Maybe just nobody has naything to say? I never really though about it.

Hida_Tsuzua

Typically when it happens to me, the conversation was dying anyways. Maybe it's a technique to quickly kill a conversation (threads that go on for some time also can suffer from this). On a related note, this urban legend:<a href='http://www.snopes.com/spoons/oldwives/silence.htm' target='_blank'>Sound of Silence</a>

Jammer

Yeah, after that happens, people look around for a couple seconds and just burst out laughing... at least with my friends...

Burr

<!--QuoteBegin--Hida Tsuzua+Apr 29 2003, 08:40 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Hida Tsuzua @ Apr 29 2003, 08:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Typically when it happens to me, the conversation was dying anyways. Maybe it's a technique to quickly kill a conversation (threads that go on for some time also can suffer from this). On a related note, this urban legend:<a href='http://www.snopes.com/spoons/oldwives/silence.htm' target='_blank'>Sound of Silence</a> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
20 after the hour? Weird, I have never noticed that, im going to have to start paying more attention.

Salty

Usually with my friends when this happens somebody usually gets beaten on.

Cronos

Actually, I'm seventeen and still in highschool <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

I have however been accused of thinking far far too much <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->

Stakhanov

Well , it's not surprising , if the 2-3 people initiating the conversation run out of interesting things to say... a few stop speaking the others stop replying. Simple as that imho.

ElvenThief

Whenever an uncomfortable silence like that happens, I have a friend who will say "Crickets", because we're all thinking of how there will be crickets chirping in uncomfortable silences in movies.

Sometimes, I'll just end up muttering "crickets" to myself when none of the people who get the joke are around.

GreyPaws

Isnt it better to be silent, then talk out of your arse? And the only reason this phenomenon occurs is becuase the people at the table are not following a primary rule of sitting at tables together.

rule being:

"If a crowd of more than 2 people are gathered at a table it is required for every third person to drink at least twice the legal limit for driving"

If someone at the table is blasted, its never quiet <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->

Burr

<!--QuoteBegin--Jobabob+Apr 30 2003, 03:38 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Jobabob @ Apr 30 2003, 03:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> You sit around a table and talk? You mid forties playing cards or something? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->

Closest I ever get to 'sitting around a table with friends' is at the pub! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hey, whats wrong with sitting around playing cards..... Me and my friends do it!!

But, of course, only if we've been hitting the sauce!! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->

mRWaffles

My friends and I talk, just not around a table, usually on a sofa or while playing NS.

Some Voice Comm: "OMG SKULK RUSH DUCK HIDE" *machine guns* "medpack"
Waffles leans forwards: "So what's the meaning of life"
Friend on puter: *Kills Skulk* "Need back up at mother interface" "I think it's bawls."
Waffles: "Yep... bawls... look out for that fade."