On paper, hearing seems simple: sound goes in, meaning results. In reality, your brain is doing far more work than your ears — and sometimes, it plays tricks on you. That’s the jumping-off point for the Vox podcast Unexplainable’s new four-part series, The Sound Barrier, which takes you to the edge cases of hearing and shows how we can push past them.
Across four episodes, host Noam Hassenfeld blends irresistible tape with rigorous reporting, bringing listeners experiences like an audio illusion that reveals how the brain edits what we hear; a cochlear implant user who relearns how to enjoy music; a clear-eyed look at tinnitus, and why so many sufferers “pass” standard hearing tests; a meditation on silence as a sound you can actually perceive; and a finale that listens to the universe itself, from the Big Bang’s echo to NASA’s eerie, gorgeous sonifications of black holes. Along the way, you’ll meet psychologist of music Diana Deutsch; Nobel laureate Robert Woodrow Wilson; and vision-impaired astronomer Wanda Díaz-Merced, whose career was reborn when she learned to “hear” space.
It’s classic Vox audio: surprising stories, beautifully told, with real stakes. If you’ve ever wondered why a crowded room feels intelligible one moment and overwhelming the next — or why “silence” can buzz — this series gives you new mental models you’ll find yourself using the next time you press play, step into a subway, or stare up at the night sky.
I hope you’ll make time for The Sound Barrier this week. Start at episode one and binge, or pick the theme that grabs you — tinnitus, silence, or listening to the cosmos — and dive in. And if it leaves you hearing the world a little differently, share it with a friend who needs a fresh way to listen.
Thanks, as always, for supporting journalism that pairs curiosity with clarity. To further support our work, consider becoming a Vox Member today.
—Bryan Walsh, Senior Editorial Director
