Nate Rott, an NPR correspondent, and Dan Blumstein, a UCLA professor specializing in animal behavior, dive into the intriguing science of fear sounds. They discuss how alarm calls of yellow-bellied marmots reveal the connection between sound and survival. The conversation uncovers the psychological effects of screams on both animals and humans. From marmot shrieks to baby cries, they explore how these sounds signal distress and danger, and even touch on the evolutionary roots of fear in human behavior, blending science with fun Halloween themes.

Dr. Dan Blumstein, a professor of conservation biology, explores fear through animal behavior like marmots. They discuss the primal nature of fear across species, physical effects of animal screams, and the impact of non-linear sounds on emotions. The conversation also touches on overcoming fears, embracing challenges, and celebrating nature.

We uncover how scary sound effects are created in horror films as well as dissect how sound triggers the fear mechanisms in humans. Featuring Formosa Group Senior Sound Editor/Sound Designer Trevor Gates and Dan Blumstein, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. 20K is made out of the studios of Defacto Sound and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.Watch our video shorts on YouTube, and join the discussion on Reddit and Facebook.Consider supporting the show at donate.20k.org Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/spookysounds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices