logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
40m 14s

Making Sense: How sound becomes hearing

Vox
About this episode
In the same way optical illusions trick our eyes, audio illusions can trick our ears. This raises a fundamental question: What is hearing, and how much of it is made up by our brains? This is the first episode of our new six-part series, Making Sense. You can find more of Diana Deutsch’s auditory illusions at https://bit.ly/3Mdh6H4, Matthew Winn's research a ... Show More
Up next
Oct 26
How does creativity work?
You know that feeling when time and space melt away and new ideas seem to flow through you? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin explains what we know about how creative flow states might change the way the networks in our brains interact. Guest: Heather Berlin, author of The Fine Art o ... Show More
24m 53s
Oct 23
Spider Web 2.0
Spider silk can be stronger than steel by weight and tougher than Kevlar. Can scientists make their own? Guest: Greg Holland, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at San Diego State University For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vox.com/unxtrans ... Show More
21m 40s
Oct 21
The wild orchid mystery
More than just beautiful flowers, wild orchids have been confounding scientists for years. Our friends at Sidedoor — a podcast from the Smithsonian — set out to find a rare specimen for themselves. Guest: ⁠Lizzie Peabody⁠, host of ⁠Sidedoor⁠ For show transcripts, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ... Show More
25m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
Relearning Boléro: How our brains rewrite the sounds we hear
In the same way that optical illusions can trick our eyes, auditory illusions can trick our ears. This raises a serious question: what is hearing, and how much of it is actually made up by our brains? In this story from the Unexplainable podcast, we explore how our brains create ... Show More
38m 7s
Jul 2022
How We Hear
How do we hear? What parts of our brain respond to sound? And how can we use vibrations to expand the way we enjoy music? In this episode of How We’re Wired, join evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin on a sensory journey exploring the world of sound, and how we hear it. We’ ... Show More
33m 38s
Mar 2023
How do my ears sense direction?
<p>How do we hear a sound and immediately know where it’s coming from? </p><p>That’s the question that CrowdScience listener Chiletso asked himself one day as he heard his son bounce a ball and instantly knew its direction. In this ear-opening episode, presenter Anand Jagatia set ... Show More
37 m
Apr 2022
How sound becomes hearing
We love listening to music at a ridiculous level of detail. But the other day we heard a podcast that made us fundamentally question the accuracy and reliability of our own listening skills. In it they played a familiar melody, “Yankee Doodle,” in such a way that we couldn’t reco ... Show More
40m 46s
Apr 2024
How do my ears sense direction?
How do we know where a sound is coming from? Another chance to hear this ear-opening episode, exploring a question from CrowdScience listener Chiletso. One day, he heard his son bounce a ball and instantly knew the direction it was travelling. How? Anand Jagatia sets out to disco ... Show More
32m 44s
Feb 2023
Focus - When Our Senses Intermingle
How can some people taste sounds? What’s happening in the brain of those who feel other’s sensations as their own? And why might we have evolved some of these extraordinary abilities in the first place? In this focus episode of How We’re Wired, join producer Dr Eva Higginbotham a ... Show More
32m 25s
Jul 2022
Focus - Hearing Loss
What’s it like to lose your hearing? Why is the cause of hearing loss often so hard to diagnose? And what innovative technologies might help scientists develop new therapies? In this Focus episode of How We’re Wired, join producer Dr Eva Higginbotham as she uncovers the complexit ... Show More
19m 16s
Sep 2023
How Hearing Voices Works
Have you ever been convinced you heard a voice -- shout, a whisper, someone speaking directly to you -- only to turn around and realize no one was there? This experience is more common than we might comfortably imagine. For millennia, people who heard voices in their heads were c ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2011
Musical Hallucinations Gone Wild
<p>Have you ever had a musical hallucination? Not a song stuck in your head - but a genuine hallucination, real enough to completely fool your senses? Join Robert and Julie as they explore the causes of musical hallucinations.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a hr ... Show More
16m 22s
Oct 2021
How do we make sense of the sounds around us?
Our colleagues at All Things Considered chatted with neuroscientist Nina Kraus about her new book Of Sound Mind. She shares how our brains process and create meaning from the sounds around us. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for s ... Show More
9m 4s