False Alarm: How the Emergency Alert System went wrong
When people in Hawaii were falsely alerted of a Ballistic Missile threat, the first thing they heard was the sound of an emergency alert. For decades, this tone has alerted us to local weather emergen...
19 Feb 201825min
Muzak: How background music took over the world
“Elevator music” was once the sound of restaurants, offices, and elevators in mid-20th century America. But ironically these bland, string-driven instrumental tracks are never heard in elevators anymo...
5 Feb 201818min
Six O'Clock Soundtrack: The art of TV news music
Ever wonder how the music on your favorite news stations is created? Dive in with news music appreciator + journalist Victor Vlam; Composer Matthew Kajcienski, Composer Irad Eshel, Composer Adarsh Tho...
22 Jan 201826min
314-914-6093: When Michelle Obama tweets your phone number
A mysterious Tweet from one of the most famous people on Earth: A single phone number, zero context. What does it mean? Why was it posted? Would you call it to find out? For commercial director Duncan...
8 Jan 201824min
The Gift: Dr. Amar Bose’s audio legacy
The science behind sound reproduction has been studied for centuries. But what will research uncover in the centuries to come? One man made it his life’s mission to find out, and a gift he made to the...
25 Des 201721min
Facebook & Google Pixel: Designing the perfect alert sound
There are sounds we interact with every single day and never give a second thought. Our phones, computers, cars, and other devices are constantly communicating with us through user interface sounds an...
11 Des 201724min
Let It Beep: The rise and fall of the Mac startup chime
For over two decades, every time you turned on a Mac, you were greeted by a familiar sound. It’s appeared as a punchline in The Simpsons, and in movies like WALL•E. It’s a sound some of us tried to hi...
27 Nov 201718min
Disney Parks: How Imagineers use sound to enchant visitors
Theme parks have a way of transporting us to magical places, and sound is crucial in maintaining the illusion. From the most action-packed attractions to the background music playing between park area...
13 Nov 201722min
