There’s a lot to be said about coffee shops and entrepreneurship. They’re the source of the beloved caffeine kick, the reason some of Europe’s greatest 19th century inventors were drunk less often, and they provide a space for collaboration and networking.
As if we need another reason to love them, here’s one more: Ambient noise of coffee shops have been revealed to provide the perfect level of sound to maximise creativity and productivity.
Researchers have discovered that library-like quiet of 50 decibels is too quiet for productivity. Why? Simply put, it’s creepy. We’re conditioned to a certain amount of noise and distraction. Silence can be interpreted by the brain as something being wrong. Think of it like the bush when animal and bird chatter disappears when a predator is stalking.
Racket of 85 decibels and higher (think of a blender) on the other hand as considered too loud and distracting for focus, let alone mental greatness.
So the perfect din lies at 70 decibels or the hubbub you’ll hear in an average coffee shop.