Episode Details

Often when running meetups you’ll have several lively conversations going at the same time. This is a great problem to have, but it can make it difficult to get everyone's attention for announcements.

Try using “Contagious Humming” when you need to silence a crowd:

• Move to a prominent place in the room and use body language that says you have something to say. 
• Start humming at a low and constant tone.
• Recruit a few compatriots to join. 
• If the crowd has enough people familiar with the technique, generally about 20% of the room, looking expectantly at a few friends is often enough. 
• Wait for the hum to spread through the room. This can take a while, 30 seconds to a minute, just be patient. 
• There will often be one or two holdouts, but they’ll usually finish their statement within about three to five seconds of noticing everyone else is humming. If not, call their name or have someone tap them on their shoulder to get their attention. Don’t try to start an announcement by talking over a holdout; in my experience that breaks the spell.
• Let the hum fill the room for a few seconds after the last [...]

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Outline:

(02:42) Why does this work?

(03:37) Better Than Alternatives

The original text contained 3 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
June 1st, 2026

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/nfcbMeLmSy7LNegoD/contagious-humming-to-silence-a-room

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.