I'm Lovin’ It: How “Ba da ba ba ba” took over the world
Since its introduction in 2003, the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle has become one of the most recognizable melodies in the world. This is the story of how a catchy five-note jingle conquered the pl...
24 Feb 202125min
The Physics of Sound w/ Bill Nye the Science Guy
What is sound, on a fundamental level? How did animals evolve to hear? And what happens when you go faster than sound itself? In this episode, we explore the physics of sound with the legendary Bill N...
27 Jan 202125min
Seeing Sounds, Tasting Names: The world of synesthesia
Synesthesia is a neurological condition where one sensory experience gets combined with another, meaning someone might hear sounds when they eat, or see colors when they listen to music. So what exact...
13 Jan 202128min
Sing Gently: Singing together, even when apart
After composer Eric Whitacre finished Virtual Choir number 5 in 2018, he thought the project might be done for good. But 2020 was just around the corner, and the Virtual Choir was far from over. For o...
16 Des 202035min
The Song Hunter: How Alan Lomax saved the sounds of America
Alan Lomax believed that the culture of poor Americans was important and worthy of saving. So he spent decades traveling the American South and recording obscure musicians on their front porches, in c...
9 Des 202027min
From Klingon to Dothraki: How sci-fi languages shape worlds
Sci-fi and fantasy creators often use constructed languages (or conlangs) to help us believe that the characters come from ancient times or distant galaxies. But what happens when a fictional language...
2 Des 202028min
Space Audity: The challenges of space communication
We've all heard the iconic recordings from the Apollo missions. But how exactly does NASA manage to run live audio between Earth and the moon? And how might we chat with astronauts on Mars and beyond?...
18 Nov 202024min
Sonic Utopia: Can we build a better sounding world?
Technology has the power to transform the way our world sounds. It could even give us entirely new ways to experience our surroundings. In this episode, we explore the sounds of the future, and how we...
11 Nov 202027min
