Twenty Thousand Hertz

A lovingly crafted podcast that reveals the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.

Music
Society & Culture
Arts
76
The Deterrent Tone
What happens when you get hit with a “sound cannon?”
20 min
77
I'm Lovin' It
Ba da ba ba ba.
23 min
78
Sound 101 with Bill Nye
Listen up! It’s time to go back to basics on the physics of sound.
22 min
79
Synesthesia
What’s it like to see sounds and taste names?
25 min
80
Sing Gently
How an internet choir connects singers around the world at a time when they can't sing together.
33 min
81
Sounds Worth Saving
Legendary music archivist Alan Lomax made it his life's work to preserve and promote the sounds of local culture.
24 min
82
Conlang
From Klingon to Elvish, what makes a good constructed language?
26 min
83
Space Audity
The mind-boggling technology behind space communication.
21 min
84
Sonic Utopia
What can we expect the future to sound like, and how can we build a sonic utopia?
25 min
85
Sound and Silence
The way we each experience sound depends on so many unique factors, from tiny receptors in our ears to the way we were taught to communicate.
48 min
86
Dies Irae
How a four-note melody from the 13th century became a movie soundtrack superstar.
26 min
87
Perfect Pitch
What's it like when every sound you hear—from the whir of the coffee grinder to the beep of the microwave—all sound like musical notes?
27 min
88
Tyrannosaurus FX
The sound design wizardry behind the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, and how these sounds compare to what dinos REALLY sounded like.
23 min
89
Napster
The stunning rise and fall of Napster, and how it transformed the music industry in a few short years.
36 min
90
Vocal Discords
A diagnosis of vocal nodes is every singer's worst nightmare. But when nodes develop, is all hope truly lost?
21 min
91
Deepfake Dallas
Is your voice your own? Maybe not anymore.
22 min
92
The City That Never Sleeps
The link between chronic noise and chronic anxiety may be closer than we realize.
23 min
93
Tudum! It's Netflix
The never-before-told story behind the iconic Netflix sound.
21 min
94
McElroys, Mysteries and Me
The McElroy brothers, hosts of My Brother, My Brother and Me, compete in a heated and hilarious game of mystery sounds.
41 min
95
Hamilton Remix
How the sound design of Hamilton draws the audience into the story.
28 min
96
Stop... Collaborate & Listen
Theft or inspiration? Part two of a deep dive into the complicated world of copyright, sampling and the ability to own a song.
23 min
97
Copyrights & Wrongs
Theft or inspiration? Part one of a deep dive into the complicated world of Copyright.
24 min
98
Makin' Whoopee!
The history and science behind our favorite fart sound-maker, the whoopee cushion.
26 min
99
Pew Pew
How legendary Sound Designer Ben Burtt helped transport audiences to a galaxy far, far away.
29 min
100
That's All Folks!
The story of Mel Blanc, Part 2. The accident, recovery, and passing of the torch.
20 min