Jan 13 2026

Doin’ Science in the National Radio Quiet Zone

55 min 2 movies discussed
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West Virginia is home to sensitive radio telescopes that could easily pick up your cell phone’s signal on Mars. And the cell reception on Mars is about as good as it is in the NRQZ, since cell towers are banned in the interest of furthering astronomy.

AI Summary

# Stuff You Should Know: The National Radio Quiet Zone

Discover the fascinating story of the National Radio Quiet Zone, a 13,000-square-mile area in the Appalachian Mountains where radio transmissions are heavily restricted to protect one of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes. Learn about the scientific breakthroughs happening at Green Bank Observatory, from the search for extraterrestrial intelligence to confirming quantum theory, and meet the quirky mix of people who've chosen to live in this uniquely disconnected community—from electromagnetic hypersensitivity sufferers seeking refuge to conspiracy theorists and communes drawn by the promise of life without Wi-Fi and cell phones.


Movies Discussed

Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul
2015 TV-MA
★ 8.7
"Lenny from Laverne and Shirley on Better Call Saul, he suffered from electromagnetic hypersensitivity — Mentioned as an example of a character with electromagnetic hypersensitivity disorder depicted in television." — Chuck
Safe
Safe
1995 1h 59m
★ 7.0
"Julian Moore in the Todd Haynes film, Safe — Referenced as a comparison to a medical condition where people think everything is contaminated and dangerous." — Josh

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