16yrs+ Nonfiction Book
E-book, print, auidobook
Investigative journalism, astronomy, country life
Green Bank, West Virginia is a town where wifi is illegal, the internet is too slow to stream video, and Boy Scouts get merit badges for radio astronomy. A giant radio telescope points into space, listening for information on black holes, pulsars and more (Green Bank Observatory, 2023). To work, it demands electromagnetic quiet from the surrounding countryside.
Stephen Kurczy recounts his experiences during several visits to Green Banks between 2017 and 2020, speaking to all manner of Appalachian citizens: A school student who drives an hour away to update his Xbox. A couple who avoid mobile phones and LED lights due to electrosensitivity. Families who - despite the laws - install wifi in their homes. The leader of a local neo-Nazi group with a long history in the remote town.
Citation:
Kurczy, S. (2021, August 3). The quiet zone. HarperCollins.