Why did ancient peoples, without modern construction equipment, struggle so hard to build huge monuments? These monumental structures are found all over the world, from Easter Island to the pyramids of Egypt. Recent research suggests that they all have a common characteristic: they may have been specially designed to conduct and manipulate sound to produce certain sensory effects.read more

Beginning in 2011, eerie aerial sounds began to be heard worldwide. They consisted of roars, thuds, and a sound like a great trumpet echoing across the sky. As this became a well known popular phenomenon in 2012, a flood of hoax videos appeared on the internet, most of them using previously recorded sounds dubbed onto new video clips in order to give the impression that the phenomenon is more widespread even than it is.read more

Why do we like the kinds of music we do? It could have to do with our brains (as well as the shape of our ears). We all love the sights and sounds of Christmas, but there are some noises that are hard to take, like SQUEEEK! The sound of fingernails on a chalkboard sets our teeth on edge, but it’s easier to take if we think it’s music. This may explain why certain songs can sound like raucous noise to one person but seem musical to someone else.
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