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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Monastery Stillness Shapes Listening
- Michaela described living at a Japanese monastery where stillness amplified surrounding sounds and shaped attention.
- She records city atmospheres by standing still with a microphone to capture the sonic moment.
An Atlas Approach To Sound
- The authors curated 36 sonic essays by combining personal draws and research to evoke sounds as stories rather than mere facts.
- They framed the book as an atlas to map sounds across space and time, inviting imaginative listening.
The Shadow War Of Bats And Moths
- Bats and moths engage in a long evolutionary 'shadow war' of sonar detection and countermeasures.
- Moths evolved stealth scales, deflective signals, and jamming bursts to evade bat echolocation.
