Episode 75 (Loudmouths and the Sound of Silence)

For the April 2024 podcast, Paul explores loudness, or the lack thereof. Just as he examined extremes of the human voice’s pitch and speed in past episodes, this month Paul discusses the extremes of volume, specifically  looking at world records for loudness while reflecting on the rarity of true silence.

You’ll learn what Guinness World Records considers the loudest human sounds while contemplating the infrequency of quietness. Past podcasts referenced in this episode include episode 34, It’s All Greek To Me, with Rush Rehm; episode 48, Pitch, with Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher; episode 57, How We Learn to Talk, with Jenny Saffran; episode 59, Exploring Roy Hart’s Legacy, with Enrique Pardo and Linda Wise; and episode 62, Fast-Talkin’ Dudes.

Check out the following clips and articles for more information on this month’s topic:

TikTok video on the loudest scream

Guinness World Records article on the loudest scream

Audiology article on the eruption of Krakatoa

Volume image (iStock-174789753) courtesy of SKrow.

(Bach’s Cello Suite #1 in G Major BMV 1007 Prelude (by Ivan Dolgunov) is courtesy of Jamendo Licensing.)