logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2016
14m 12s

Making the sands sing at Great Sand Dune...

American Public Media
About this episode

When an avalanche happens at the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, it sounds like the sand is singing. Huh? How? Why? We learn about the special sand and the specific conditions that make this acoustic phenomenon possible.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Mar 3
Why do we have Daylight Saving Time?
Every spring we set our clocks one hour forward. Every fall we move them one hour back. It’s a strange ritual when you think about it, so why do we do it? Join Molly and co-host Ava as they explore the seasons and why days are shorter in the winter and longer in the summer. We’ll ... Show More
24m 1s
Feb 27
New Brains On tour dates added: St. Paul, Atlanta, Portland -- and more!
Exciting news! We’ve announced a bunch of new tour stops for this spring! Learn more about the show and get tickets here! Mar 7............MILWAUKEE Mar 8..................ST PAUL Mar 28..............ATLANTA Mar 29.....FT LAUDERDALE Apr 11......CHATTANOOGA Apr 12................. ... Show More
1m 10s
Feb 24
Let's Go Bananas
HARVEY, our omnipresent virtual voice assistant, gets a software update that makes him go bananas for bananas. And if we talk about anything except bananas, he turns the microphones off! We talk to geneticist Dr. Janina Jeff about how much DNA we share with a banana, find out why ... Show More
33m 23s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2021
Qu’est-ce qu’un nuage de sable ?
Qu’est-ce qu’un nuage de sable ? Merci d’avoir posé la question ! En février 2021, à deux reprises, le ciel a changé de couleur pour devenir jaunâtre. Le 6 février, des Français de Lyon, Toulouse, ou encore Strasbourg s’affolaient sur les réseaux sociaux. La réponse n’a pas tardé ... Show More
4m 13s
Jan 2023
Where does the sand in a desert come from?
<p>From Lawrence of Arabia to Star Wars via tales of intrepid adventurers traversing lonely sand-swept landscapes, deserts have always had a powerful pull on the popular imagination. But if a desert is full of sand, where did all that sand come from in the first place? That is wh ... Show More
27m 56s
Apr 2021
Pourquoi le sable du Sahara ne peut pas être utilisé pour la construction ?
<p>Rediffusion (je reviens le 26 avril ;)</p><p>Le sable est un matériau indispensable à la construction. Les spécialistes de ce secteur alertent sur une possible pénurie de sable, alors que les déserts, et notamment celui du Sahara, en recèlent des réserves quasi inépuisables. A ... Show More
2m 5s
Mar 2022
L'Arabie Saoudite importe du sable
tail spinning
1m 54s
Jul 2019
Built on Sand
<p>Sand is so tiny and ubiquitous that it's easy to take for granted. But in his book <em>The World in a Grain</em>, author Vince Beiser traces the history of sand, exploring how it fundamentally shaped the world as we know it. "Sand is actually the most important solid substance ... Show More
36m 41s
Jul 2023
White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park contains a geological rarity: the largest field of gypsum sand dunes anywhere on earth. The blinding white dunes stretch for miles in every direction, dazzling tourists, inviting selfies and sled rides.  But there’s much more to this park than meets the ... Show More
1 h
Sep 2019
We Are Running Out of Sand and That Actually Matters
<p>Sand, we’re beginning to realize, is a non-renewable resource - and we are consuming it at a voracious pace. We use it in every construction project around the world and to create new land. And we’re wrecking the ecosystems we mine sand from.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ... Show More
45m 53s
Feb 2024
Can snowstorms have thunder?
<p>How is snow made and what’s it made out of?  Why is it white and sparkly?  Why do snowflakes look different? Can snowstorms have thunder? Why do some places, like mountains, get more snow than others? Answers to all of your questions about snow, with Seth Linden, who works for ... Show More
32m 49s