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The giant art that keeps planes quiet

Tom Scott | October 13, 2025



Next to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is the Buitenschot Land Art Park, a giant set of ridges and furrows cut into the landscape. Yes, it’s art: but it also stops some local residents from being exposed to jet noise.

More about the park: https://www.schiphol.nl/en/schiphol-as-a-neighbour/page/landscape-design-plan-to-combat-noise-nuisance/

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Written by Tom Scott

Comments

This post currently has 20 comments.

  1. @thenightking503

    October 13, 2025 at 12:06 am

    Is it weird that I got a weird sense of reassurance from the end of this video?

    I've been having mental health struggles, and been questioning if my medication and coping strategies are pointless, if they're just letting me put off doing something "real" to solve my issues.

    "But that filtering job is a lot easier if the noise is a little less loud."

    Maybe the noise will never truly stop. Maybe it'll never be as good as it was.

    But it helps. And that can be good enough.

  2. @DougGrinbergs

    October 13, 2025 at 12:06 am

    Tip: get a spectrogram app for your phone; it'll help you see, understand sound frequencies / pitch and relative amplitude. Especially interesting with a passing siren (Doppler effect)

  3. @erintheangry

    October 13, 2025 at 12:06 am

    I remember in my late teens I moved next to a railroad bridge and I never thought I would be able to stay there with all the rail traffic. Before I knew it, I never even noticed the trains going by unless I happened to look out the window or a particularly heavy one was going by and I FELT it instead. The brain is a weird thing indeed.

  4. @kalpeshwani8520

    October 13, 2025 at 12:06 am

    Sound cancellation tripod flatface corraguated cones 💎 placed in odd even alternate row boundary will satisfy purpose with less expense and maintenance.
    ∆∆∆∆∆💎💎💎💎💎
    ∆∆∆∆💎💎💎💎💎💎

  5. @joecornfield6329

    October 13, 2025 at 12:06 am

    Landing not taking off so the engines are pointed in the opposite direction? Dont planes (and engines) land and take off in the same direction. Is it something to do with the engines going in reverse (not sure if this is a thing)?

  6. @McCallEdwards

    October 13, 2025 at 12:06 am

    Sound does not get "dampened" the term is "damped" for sound and vibrations. Super minor thing that doesn't affect the video. I am just an acoustician spreading the word!

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