The next step toward a holodeck might be the ability to actually touch a simulation, and we’re getting closer—using sound.

Mathematician Mark Kac asked the question "Can we hear the shape of a drum?" It was a question that took over 20 years to answer. Sine waves, fundamental frequencies, eigenvalues, this episode has got it all!

Colors like white, pink and brown aren’t just for clouds, flowers and cows! They also describe special sounds that can actually help you focus and sleep!

Miku Hatsune is a computer generated pop star from Japan who has performed to sell out crowds. Lana Del Rey is a rising singer-performer who has encountered controversy over her alleged authenticity as an artist. IDEA channel raises the...

Asteroseismology allows scientists to explore stars with sound. It can help them figure out what a star is burning and even help pin down the age of stars!

News about climate change is often full of doom, guilt, and anxiety. This can make many people reluctant to pay attention to or discuss it. We asked former Vice President Al Gore to help us find a different way to talk about climate change.

Oceanographer Kate Stafford lowers us into the sonically rich depths of the Arctic Ocean, where ice groans, whales sing to communicate over vast distances -- and climate change and human noise threaten to alter the environment in ways we...

Even if you have a cat of your own, you might not know these three amazing things about our furry friends!

An animated interpretation of Andrea Gibson's poem "The Nutritionist"

The revolution that made music more marketable, more personal and easier to pirate began ... at the dawn of the 19th century. José Bowen outlines how new printing technology and an improved piano gave rise to the first music industry.

You spend weeks studying for an important test. On the big day, you wait nervously as your teacher hands it out. You're working your way through, when you're asked to define "ataraxia." You know you've seen the word before, but your mind...

Nothing is original, says Kirby Ferguson, creator of Everything is a Remix. From Bob Dylan to Steve Jobs, he says our most celebrated creators borrow, steal and transform.

There's no question that a dog tilting its head is one of the cutest things possible, but why do they do it?

Nothing changed movies like the arrival of synchronous sound. NOTHING! Acting, directing, cinematography, and presentation all had to be rethought. Some studios were more quick to take on the challenge while others waited until the last...

Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata -- all the major cities across India have one great thing in common: they welcome people arriving in search of work. But what lies at the other end of such openness and acceptance? Sadly, a shortage of...

Your boss probably isn't paying you what you're worth -- instead, they're paying you what they think you're worth. Take the time to learn how to shape their thinking. Pricing consultant Casey Brown shares helpful stories and learnings...

A sigh is often taken to be a sign of sadness, but it can indicate a lot more than that,or a lot less.

Wandering an old dark place at night sounds pretty scary, but you can take comfort in the fact that ghostly encounters can be explained by natural phenomena: no “super-” prefix necessary.

We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don't, says poet and teacher Clint Smith. A short, powerful piece from the heart, about finding the courage to speak up...

Stories are necessary, but they're not as magical as they seem, says writer Sisonke Msimang. In this funny and thoughtful talk, Msimang questions our emphasis on storytelling and spotlights the decline of facts. During a critical time...

The WHO has declared the new coronavirus a global public health emergency—but that doesn't mean you should panic.

Why is China appointing thousands of judges to environmental courts and training prosecutors to bring cases to them, even if it means suing the government? Eco-lawyer James Thornton takes us inside the country's growing effort to use the...

We often think of the ocean as a pretty serene, lovely place to relax. But it turns out there's quite a racket going on under the waves, and some of the culprits are not the animals you'd expect!

The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality, and it was vitality that seemed to seep away from me in that moment. In a talk equal parts eloquent and devastating, writer Andrew Solomon takes you to the darkest corners of his...