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GREEN BANK, W. Va. — For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That’s what some guy named Isaac said, anyway.
In a world inundated with data, it’s hard to imagine living somewhere without access to our screens. Turns out, there’s a 13,000 square mile refuge of sorts in West Virginia where things a few people might consider necessities nowadays are outlawed: Wi-Fi, cell phones and even microwave ovens.
In Green Bank, West Virginia, the presence of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory has made it necessary to eliminate devices that might interfere with their very sensitive technology, according to a video released by Discovery News. The area was established almost 60 years ago in 1958 in order to protect highly sensitive telescopes from electromagnetic frequencies. Manmade interference could block or distort signals from the telescopes, which are contributing to what the video calls “the biggest scientific search ever undertaken for signs of extraterrestrial life.”
As technology has evolved, so have the restrictions in what’s known as the quietest town in the United States. Anyone who decides to live in Green Bank has to sign a rental agreement saying they won’t set up Wi-Fi or have a cell phone. A patrolman even circumnavigates the 10-mile radius of the town checking for possible infractions.
A side effect of the Wi-Fi and cell phone ban is it’s attracted people to the town who claim to be negatively affected by electromagnetic hypersensitivity, sufferers who say being near things like cell towers, phones and wireless signals cause them physical pain.
Watch the video above to hear a few of their stories.
