There then is the origin. Noise and nausea, noise and nautical, noise and navy have the same etymology. We shouldn't be astonished for we never hear white noise [bruit de fond] better than when at sea. This noise, be it calm or vehement, seems to have been established for all time. On a strict horizontal plane, stable or unstable flows of water constantly exchange places. Space is completely invaded by noise; we are completely occupied by the same noise. The agitation is everywhere to be heard, beside the signals, beside the silence.
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How much noise has to be made to still the noise?