Noise cancelling

or: anti-sound for ignoring your roommate

In 1936 a physicist named Paul Lueg patented the idea of fighting a sound with its own upside-down copy, so the two waves cancel into silence¹. Then in 1978 the founder of an audio company was handed a useless pair of headphones on a flight and got so annoyed he designed ones with tiny microphones that listen to the world and play back its exact opposite in real time², and pilots got them first, including two who wore prototypes in 1986 while flying all the way around the planet without stopping or refueling ³.

And we use it to pretend we can’t hear our roommate.

How it works, badly

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In 1936, someone patented fighting sound with its upside-down copy.
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A bad pair of airplane headphones annoyed the right person.
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Tiny mics hear the noise; the speaker plays its exact opposite.
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Now we use it to not hear our roommate.

Wait, is that real?

Yes, the quiet is computed, and it started with pilots.

The mirror-image patent↩

In 1936, Paul Lueg patented a theoretical system for cancelling sound waves through destructive interference: add a wave to its upside-down copy and the peaks fill the troughs. In the 1950s, Lawrence J. Fogel built and patented noise-cancelling systems to quiet aircraft cockpits for pilots.

The bad airplane headphones↩

Amar Bose had founded Bose Corporation in 1964. On April 19, 1978, on a flight, he was given headphones meant to drown out the airplane noise, was disappointed, and started designing an active noise-cancelling approach. In active noise cancelling, a microphone picks up the sound around you and a small amplifier generates a wave that is out of phase with it, so the two cancel.

Pilots first↩

In 1986, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager wore prototype Bose noise-cancelling headsets on their nonstop, unrefueled flight around the world. In 1987, the Sennheiser LHM-45 became the first noise-cancelling headset with FAA certification, and by 1989 Bose sold an aviation headset. Bose began supplying American Airlines in 1999 and sold its QuietComfort line to everyone else starting in 2000.

The fine print↩

Noise cancelling works best on steady, low drones like engines, air conditioners and road noise, and worst on short, sharp sounds like voices; a lot of the quiet against your roommate comes from the ear cups simply blocking sound. Who sold the first commercial headset is disputed, with dates from 1986 to 1989. Your roommate can still see you.

Sources: Wikipedia: noise-cancelling headphones; Wikipedia: active noise control

Last fact-checked October 29, 2026.