Listen to the Time Square Hum

Thousands of people walk by this art installation everyday without noticing the strange, purposeful noises. It has since turned into an interesting, social experiment to see who will notice the hum. In order to hear the random noises, you need to stand on the middle of the pedestrian island, located in the middle of Times Square. As you strain to listen, you will start to notice something that doesn’t belong. It is hard to identify at first, but you will start to pick out noises not found in the setting around you. The sounds are deliberate and rise from beneath the street. In 1977, the artist Max Neuhaus installed speakers beneath the sidewalk to create this sound installation and because of its unmarked nature, it is rarely noticed.