NYTMAG Sonic Voyages The New York Times Magazine
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- News
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This podcast of audio stories from around the world accompanies the September 23, 2018 print issue of The New York Times Magazine. To see images from the issue, visit nytimes.com/voyages. All audio was produced and edited by Kara Oehler.
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Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes in Hawaii. This spring and summer, it erupted, and ribbons of molten orange lava flowed down to the sea, destroying homes and burning through the forest. It’s a spectacular, cataclysmic sight, and the sounds that it makes are strange and surprising. Photographs by Philip Montgomery. Field recordings by Jeremiah Lofgreen.
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Maromizaha Forest, Madagascar
Indris, the largest living lemurs, are known for their high-pitched cries, which paired males and females make in tandem. They mate for life, and as they grow closer over time, their songs become more and more coordinated. Photograph by Piotr Naskrecki. Field recordings by the Ethology Lab at the University of Turin.
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Atacama Desert, Chile
The salt flats in northern Chile are among the most arid and empty places on Earth. But they’re not silent. As the temperature changes throughout the day, the earth’s crust begins to crack, with a strange groaning and heaving and clanking. Photographs and photo illustration (night) by Thierry Cohen. Field recordings by Bethan and Robert Kellough.
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New York
For humans, this city is inescapably noisy. Traffic, heavy machinery, yells, honks — it never stops. But for rats, the soundscape can be calm, quiet, punctuated only by their loopy cries. Photograph by Dina Litovsky. Field recordings by Brian House.
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Fishlake National Forest, Utah
One of the largest single organisms anywhere is the Pando clone, a gigantic grove of linked aspen trees that all grew from the same tiny seed and remain connected by a shared root system. There are more than 40,000 trees, and when the wind blows through them, it makes an unforgettably loud whisper. Photographs by Karine Laval. Field recordings by Jeff Rice.
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Lagos, Nigeria
Our senses of smell and taste are inextricably linked to memory. Sound can be just as transportive. For Lagotians, the singular sounds of the Ojuelegba bus station capture the distinctive energy and bustle of their native city. Photograph by Yagazie Emezi. Field recordings by Pius Fatoke.
Customer Reviews
Rats laughing
I only wish I had heard this New York sounds episode when I lived on West 10th Street.
Talk, talk, talk
Way too much talking, and not enough of the sound scape that should be the focus of these podcasts.