Twenty Thousand Hertz

Sound, Uncovered. The secrets, stories, and science behind what you hear.

Design
Arts
Music Commentary
151
Dining on Decibels: Why are restaurants so noisy?
The story behind how restaurants became so darn loud.
21 min
152
Do Not Disturb: The unseen impacts of alarms an...
The story of how alarms and alerts came to rule, and endanger, our lives.
24 min
153
Blue! 42! How helmet radio changed the NFL
How headsets revolutionized American football.
23 min
154
Silence: Dispatches from the quietest place on ...
Dallas is locked into an anechoic chamber to experience how our brains process complete silence.
21 min
155
A sonic journey through the Solar System
A completely remixed version of our favorite episode, where we explore what other plants sound like.
19 min
156
Boots ’n Cats: The scientific secrets of beatbo...
The evolution & science of beatboxing.
21 min
157
Being George Clooney: Dubbing Hollywood celebri...
Explore how Hollywood films are adapted for foreign languages.
30 min
158
The Xbox Startup Sound: Crafting a console classic
How the designers of the Xbox startup sounds overcame tight parameters to come up with an iconic audio logo.
21 min
159
Theater for the Mind: The Golden Age of radio d...
The stories behind the golden age of sci-fi and horror radio dramas.
29 min
160
Theremin: The instrument that defined classic s...
The story behind this infamous, spooky-sounding instrument.
25 min
161
Cartoon Sound Effects: From Steamboat Willie to...
How were old cartoon sounds made, and how did they become so iconic?
27 min
162
Behind the Mic: The making of Twenty Thousand H...
A behind the scenes look at the inspiration and creation of Twenty Thousand Hertz.
31 min
163
Jingles: How they hooked us and why they vanished
What is the story behind these unforgettable earworms?
28 min
164
“Intel Inside” and other sonic branding brilliance
The story behind audio logos and what makes them so powerful.
24 min
165
Loop Groups: The art of movie background chatter
We go behind the scene with the actors responsible for bringing your TV and film backgrounds to life.
25 min
166
Slot Machines: The addictive power of sound
The sound design and science behind today's slot machines.
16 min
167
Misophonia: Why we can't stand certain sounds
The hatred of sound.
16 min
168
THX Deep Note Part 2: How a lost file shaped mo...
What happened after THX lost its iconic "Deep Note"?
25 min
169
The THX Deep Note: From chaos to cinematic legend
What was the point of the THX "deep note" and why do we love it so much?
23 min
170
Amen Break: The world’s most sampled drum beat
The history of what might be the most sampled piece of music ever.
21 min
171
Ultrasonic Tracking: Are our phones really list...
Your phone might be eavesdropping on you.
21 min
172
ASMR: Why certain sounds give you tingles
We explore the autonomous sensory meridian response, a phenomenon where certain sounds can trigger a pleasant physical reaction.
22 min
173
Broadway to Cirque du Soleil: Sound design for ...
Sound design's critical role in theater and concerts.
20 min
174
Hidden Melodies: Discovering the music in our s...
Your voice is an instrument, and the way you choose to sing your words can communicate a lot.
15 min
175
Epileptic Symphonies: Turning seizures into music
Brant Guichard hears music every time he has a seizure.
26 min