New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Michaela Vieser and Isaac Yuen, "The Sound Atlas: A Guide to Strange Sounds Across Landscapes and Imagination" (Reaktion, 2025)
Sep 2, 2025
Guest Isaac Yuen, a nature writer and co-author of The Sound Atlas, delves into the fascinating interplay between sound and the human experience. He shares insights on capturing the essence of fleeting sounds from around the globe, discussing oddities from bats and moths to ancient oracle sites. The conversation touches on the emotional weight of sound, linking it to mortality and creativity, while exploring sounds that shape our history and identity. Yuen's passion for intertwining sound with nature opens up new ways to appreciate our auditory world.
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Altai Fields Hum With Lost Sounds
- Michaela visited the Altai Mountains where summer fields hum with insects, preserving near-preindustrial soundscapes.
- She met a musician who crafts instruments from grass and plays music that reconnects to vanished sonic traditions.
How Sand 'Sings' Scientifically
- 'Singing sands' produce tones when grains meet strict size, roundness, silica content, and uniformity criteria.
- Dune faces amplify the effect, but the sound generation comes from grain properties and motion.
The Persistent Mystery Of The Taos Hum
- The Taos Hum and similar reports describe a low-frequency internal hum only perceived by a minority of people.
- Hypotheses include infrasonic thermoelastic waves inducing tissue vibration and bone-conducted perception, but no definitive cause or cure exists.
