homehome Home chatchat Notifications


You've been waiting all your life for this -- a device that literally cancels snoring

Aptly called the "Silent Partner", this device exploits the fundamental physics of pressure sound waves to render snoring mute.

Tibi Puiu
June 15, 2016 @ 5:41 pm

share Share

Aptly called the “Silent Partner”, this device exploits the fundamental physics of pressure sound waves to render snoring mute. Just plug it to both nostrils of your partner, or yourself why don’t you, and kick back for a relaxing night.

altered states

The device is effective from distances as close as 8 inches. Credit: Silent Partner

Although snoring is very annoying, it’s still basically just a sound. This means we can cancel it. You might have seen this sort of technology at work in so-called “noise-canceling headphones” which apart from the speakers, also have a microphone. This microphone listens to the environment, then the cans emit  this signal with the same amplitude but with an inverted phase. It’s like summing the negative and positive of the same number — you effectively get zero, and the only thing you hear is the music you play back.

The Silent Partner works under the same principle of “subwavelength active noise cancellation”. The device has two thumbnail-sized perturbances which go into the nostrils, connected by a bridge. Together, these listen for signature snore sounds, and not other sounds like talking, then emits a counter sound that cancels out the original snores. The sound is purely acoustic, so there are no vibrations that might wake up the snorer.

About one in four Americans are regular snorers, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Snoring is caused by a variety of reasons, from poor muscle tone to an obstructed mucus.

Silent Partner has faired very well with the public. The startup unveiled its plans on IndieGoGo where the team asked for $40,000 to kick start production. They’ve exceeded their goal by 655 percent as I’m typing this.

It’s important to note that this device only treats the symptoms of snoring. For best results, you should fix the causes. Some quick tips include losing weight, avoiding tranquilizers, alcohol or sleeping pills before bedtime, and try not to sleep on your back.

share Share

Gardening Really Is Good for You, Science Confirms

Gardening might do more for your health than you think.

The surprising health problem surging in over 50s: sexually transmitted infections

Doctors often don't ask older patients about sex. But as STI cases rise among older adults, both awareness and the question need to be raised.

Kids Are Swallowing Fewer Coins and It Might Be Because of Rising Cashless Payments

The decline of cash has coincided with fewer surgeries for children swallowing coins.

Horses Have a Genetic Glitch That Turned Them Into Super Athletes

This one gene mutation helped horses evolve unmatched endurance.

Scientists Discover Natural Antibiotics Hidden in Our Cells

The proteasome was thought to be just a protein-recycler. Turns out, it can also kill bacteria

Future Windows Could Be Made of Wood, Rice, and Egg Whites

Simple materials could turn wood into a greener glass alternative.

Researchers Turn 'Moon Dust' Into Solar Panels That Could Power Future Space Cities

"Moonglass" could one day keep the lights on.

Ford Pinto used to be the classic example of a dangerous car. The Cybertruck is worse

Is the Cybertruck bound to be worse than the infamous Pinto?

Archaeologists Find Neanderthal Stone Tool Technology in China

A surprising cache of stone tools unearthed in China closely resembles Neanderthal tech from Ice Age Europe.

A Software Engineer Created a PDF Bigger Than the Universe and Yes It's Real

Forget country-sized PDFs — someone just made one bigger than the universe.