Illustration of Lynn Conway with a copy of Mead and Conway’s Introduction to VLSI Systems. Conway’s likeness is based on Charles Roger’s photo on Wikipedia, which he released under a CC BY-SA 2.5 License. Image created with Stable Diffusion.
This past weekend, The New York Times ran an obituary for Lynn Conway, half of the namesake for the Mead-Conway VLSI Revolution and co-author of the groundbreaking textbook Introduction to VLSI Systems (1980). She died at the age of 86.
What is so cool about the Mead-Conway VLSI chip design revolution was not only that it was the paradigm shift that made possible the next step in microprocessor design and fabrication by enabling electrical engineering and computer science students to do the work that was previously the domain of physicists and the high tech industry, but also that it was a under-the-radar pedagogical hack. Conway writes in the October 2018 issue of Computer:
"With all the pieces in place, an announcement was made on ARPANET to electrical engineering and computer science departments at major research universities about what became known as "MPC79." On the surface, while appearing to be official and institutionally based, it was done in the spirit of a classic "MIT hack"--a covert but visible technical stunt that stuns the pubic, who can't figure out how it was done or what did it. (I'd been an undergrad at MIT in the 1950s).
The bait was the promise of chip fabrication for all student projects. Faculty members at 12 research universities signed on to offer Mead-Conway VLSI design courses. This was bootleg, unofficial, and off the books, underscoring the principle that "it's easier to beg forgiveness than to get permission" (p. 69).
While this was a huge contribution to the development of the computer industry leading into the 1980s and beyond, it was only one of her many accomplishments–innovating an out-of-order queuing processing system for IBM only to be fired in 1968 when she began transitioning to become a woman, starting her career over and eventually making her way to Xerox PARC, later joining the University of Michigan as a professor of electrical engineering and computer science and serving as associate dean of engineering, and becoming a transgender advocate later in life. She was recognized with many awards and honorary doctorates for her contributions to the field as an engineer and educator.
An exposed brick NYC apartment created with Stable Diffusion.
Having lived in apartments of one kind or another in different cities and countries over the past 30 years, there is one fact that is unavoidable: many tenants don’t care about others. This can take many forms–from leaving packages outside, leaving laundry in the on-site washer and dryer, not breaking down boxes for recycling, leaving trash outside of bins for the rats to tear apart, etc.
However, one of the worse offenses one apartment dweller can do to another is disturb another’s peaceful habitation through loud noise. This can include screaming babies, barking dogs, loud stereo music or movies, and perhaps worst of all, bass. It seems strange to me that other tenants, who must have heard their neighbors at one point or another, don’t think about that and consider how they can adjust their noise production and environment to lessen the chance that their clamor won’t bother someone else. You know, that whole golden rule thing. Though, I’m ready to admit that I’m naive about others’ motivations and their lack of concern about others.
Perhaps its the selfish orientation of some on the renting side of things is also an orientation on the landlord side of things. Observing the cheap construction of luxury apartment buildings near where I live, which are all glossy surface but shoddy underneath, I’m not surprised that the more modest abodes that Y and I can afford are of an equally poor construction. This selfishness on the part of building owners to cut costs by building apartments without a modicum of quality-of-life considerations, such as insulation filled walls (fiberglass or blown closed-cell), no soundproofing (e.g., loaded mass vinyl (LMV) or other dense lining), minimal concrete board except (perhaps) where code absolutely calls for it, or positive pressure ventilation in stairways (to keep odors out). Of course, these things cost money, but considering rental prices and the posh lifestyles of the most lucrative landlords, it’s obviously not for a lack of resources–it’s a lack of will to invest in the quality of life of those who pay exorbitantly for less than stellar accommodations to live in.
So, it’s down to the tenant to do what they can to improve their living environment that is bombarded by the sounds of neighbors and the city outside and the other byproducts of enclosed living spaces–odors of cooking and smoking.
I’ve tried a lot of tricks to keep others’ sounds and odors out of my living space, and in so doing, keep my sounds and odors in my space so as not to bother others. The following are a few of those things.
Apartment Entrance
The front door of an apartment is one of the worst offenders for allowing sound (and smells) into an apartment. This is especially true when the door is hung improperly or damaged (e.g., steel doors can be dented or bent). Also, less expensive doors are hollow, which allows sounds to pass into the apartment.
One of the easiest fixes for keeping out sound and smells is installing a door sweep that seals against the door’s threshold. The kind that I use slips on and has multiple sweeps to give a better seal. When I move, it is easily slipped off.
Another culprit is how well the door seals against the frame. The previous tenant where I now lives did a remarkable job installing weatherstripping around the exterior of the door–likely due to sound and odor issues that we’ve had to deal with. For this kind of installation, they would have had to drill pilot holes for each screw that holds the aluminum frame of the rubber weatherstripping insulation against the steel door frame. The only way that they could have improved upon this is adding a strip of caulk behind the weatherstripping frame before screwing it down. Otherwise, this has helped tremendously for keeping out sounds and smells.
Our neighbors across the landing from our door often slam their door (as did the previous tenants). Before, I hung moving blankets on the door and had a heavy curtain that I would pull over the door when Y and I were inside the apartment (to hide the blue blankets).
Recently, I figured out a better solution that keeps out far more noise to the point that we aren’t always aware of our neighbors comings and goings (as it should be!). I purchased a large roll of 2″ thick upholstery foam, neodymium magnets with countersunk holes, 3/16″ x 2″ long countersunk bolts, 1″ washers, and 3/16″ nuts. I ran the bolts through the magnets and attached the magnets to the steel entrance door. I cut the foam so that it overlapped the frame of the door (to cover where the door and frame meet). Then, I pushed the bolts through the foam–beginning at the bottom and working my way up–adding a washer and nut to each bolt as I went. I cut small holes around the handle, deadbolt, and peephole.
Interior Doors
When the source of sounds might be on the other side of closets, bathrooms, or bedroom, I’ve used those spaces as sound buffers when not in use. To do this, I applied weatherstripping to the inside edge of the door jamb for those interior doors and keep those doors shut as much as possible. This puts another barrier between me and the source of the sound.
Floors
Noise from neighbors–especially sounds from music, movies and television, parties, and shouting–often come through the floor from the unit directly beneath you. The more material that you can put down that can stop sound (e.g., mass loaded vinyl) or muffle it (e.g., felt underlayment and high pile carpet), the better. In my case, I covered as much of the floor with carpet with a felt underlayment (living room) and carpet with rubber backing (bedroom). I haven’t tried MLV under a carpet, but if I were, I would check it regularly to make sure that it doesn’t act as a moisture barrier and collect water underneath, which could ruin the floor that it was on top of. Breathable material like heavy felt and carpet is probably a safer bet.
Also, carefully inspect around the edges of rooms, doors, and closet interiors for any gaps or openings. I use caulk to fill these gaps–it can stop sound and odors from entering below. It can also stop insects from migrating into your unit. I use acrylic caulks so clean up is easy with soap and water. To apply caulk, use a small tube or a larger tube and caulk gun to apply. Then, wet the tip of your index finger and lightly pull it from the far end of where you applied towards you. This gives the caulk its bead and blends it into the two adjoining surfaces. Use a paper towel to carefully wipe up any excess and wash your hands with soap.
Walls
If you have neighbors on either side of your unit, you can add some barriers to muffle sound. These interventions have also helped with containing the sounds within my apartment and reducing echo (because there is no insulation in any of the exterior or interior walls, echo is far more noticeable than in solid construction). One type of sound blocker and absorber is bookshelves loaded with books. Though, remember to keep enough space behind the shelves for air circulation, which will keep your books healthy and free of mold.
Hanging fabric items–especially quilts and rugs–on the wall will help absorb some of our sound and muffle sound that might come in from outside the apartment. Like with anything that I put on the floor, I make sure that it is breathable and not a moisture barrier that can collect water and ruin the building material or promote mold growth in a wet environment.
Windows
A lot of noise originates from the sidewalk and street below our apartment. Besides ensuring the windows are properly sealed and closed, we also double hang sets of thick blackout curtains–one set fits inside the window frame on a tension rod and the second set is mounted on rods attached to the wall face and hangs to the floor. Pulled together, these muffle a lot of daily noise and they cut out all light when we’re trying to sleep at night.
White Noise and Air Filters
All noise can’t be eliminated, but it can be masked. This is especially important when we’re trying to sleep. As a final precaution, we turn on a large air cleaner set to its medium fan speed to create a background of white noise while recirculating and cleaning the air in the apartment–two birds, one stone.
Also, we keep another air cleaner on the kitchen counter running on low speed 24/7. It uses a charcoal filter to remove odors from the air–ours from cooking and any that might find their way into the apartment from outside.
Appliances
Some noise–like a film murder fiend–is already inside. Our wall insert air conditioner is a case in point. Occasionally, its front face will vibrate and sound like the whole apartment is shaking apart. Using a found object–like a toy foam disk–inserted between the frame and face eliminated the errant racket.
Other Options and Observations
The bed is a tough nut to crack when bass is involved. Pulling the bed away from the wall a few inches helps some with ambient pulses, but the low frequency vibration of bass will travel up the feet of the bed into the mattress, through the pillow, into your ear pressed against the pillow or your head lying back into the pillow. Reducing the surface area of the feet–where it contacts the floor–seems like it might reduce how much vibration is absorbed and transmitted. There are risers made out of dense rubber that might help, but reviews are typically not positive. I’ve read some inventive ideas online involving springs, fulcrums, and isolators–essentially turning your bed into a large turntable antivibration system–but it would require a lot of material, know-how, and capital to make that work correctly.
If I could afford it, I would like to try installing a floating floor: lay down a felt underlayment and snap together a Pergo-like laminated floor on top of it. Then, I would lay out a layer of MLV and then a carpet over that. This might improve sound blocking over just a carpet due to its mass. However, bass will easily penetrate even another floor.
Bass is probably the worst aspect of living near others. Audio manufacturers and the entertainment industry promote thumping bass as essential to almost any kind of music. I get that a beat can get you moving, but the fact that bass is an omnidirectional vibration that travels through most materials and at great distance, it would seem that some sense would prevail in how people enjoy it. Of course, I’m delusional in thinking that would be the case.
While lots of online discussions about noisy neighbors include voices that say, “just go talk to them,” I can attest that over the past 30 years I have never had a positive interaction or lasting change with any neighbor regarding noise despite being as nice and neighborly as possible to them. From those interactions, I have gathered that those folks just don’t like doing something counter to what they are already doing, and/or they don’t care because the problem isn’t theirs. However, I suspect that if someone caused them trouble they wouldn’t turn the other cheek. It’s not so much “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” as “do what you want and others be damned.”
The wee bee that I shared yesterday likely lives in one of these beehives in the back lot apiary nestled in this grassy and overgrown corner of Green-Wood Cemetery. These bees are doing the work keeping the lush oasis going.
Walking back from Barnes and Noble yesterday, I saw this telco wiring termination box with its cover open at the corner of 7th Street and 7th Avenue. Was this enough capacity for the block between 7th and 6th Avenues? It looks pretty sparse–considering fewer homes have landlines now than in the past. It’s probably seen better days when it was chock full of wires serving the houses and apartments all along the block. Also, it’s got yellow warning labels shouting “Do Not Cross with Jumpers,” and there are a handful of marking tags on strings tied to wires with a lark’s head knot.
At the 5th Avenue Main Entrance to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, there are impressive memorials created by folks in the community to remember those who were lost due to COVID-19 and recognize those still suffering from Long COVID.
The installation is called Naming the Lost, and it will be up through May 29, 2024. I am including photos below, but it is far more impressive to see in person. The work that these people put into this is a testament to their love and grief. It also points to the disproportionate effect of the virus on our densely populated urban environment–in terms of infection rates, mortality, messaging, and disruption.
