Hearing Voices - Radio Stories / Technology

Color tinted postcard of Huey P. Long Bridge

Fanatic Reactionary Pedestrian 10:40 Abner Serd

The paving of America as seen from the shoulders and sidewalks of our country’s roads. Musings-in-motion recorded during a 5000 trek from Arizona to Georgia to Maine. "It is becoming illegal to travel this country by foot." Music by Jeff Arntsen of Racket Ship.) [transcript]

Broadcast: Jan 15 2005 on NPR Living on Earth Subjects: Environment, Travel, Technology

A Flock of Cellphones 3:36 Larry Massett

"Can you hear me now?" Cellphones have nurtured humanity’s obsession with telling each other where they are and where they’ll be and "Where are you?" A dynamic, constantly updated reporting of location, location, ever-changing location. Maybe it’s just human nature. Or maybe (quack) it’s just (tweet) nature. [transcript]

Broadcast: Nov 9 2004 on NPR All Things Considered Subjects: Technology, Cultural

Flamin’ Betty 4:48 Barrett Golding

263 miles-per-hour is the world land speed record for Class E Supercharged Fuel Competition Coupes, set at the Bonneville Salt Flats ("the fastest place on earth") in the Utah desert. The record holder is Betty Burkland, a 63-year-old grandmother from Great Falls, Montana. Interviews and music from the film "Return to Bonneville." (Music: Jeff Arntsen; Recordings: Jim Kehoe) [transcript]

Broadcast: Oct 15 2004 on NPR Day to Day Subjects: Technology, Sports

Ghost Hunters in the Thick of Night 3:48 Jake Warga

Another tall tale from AGHOST- Amateur Ghost Hunters of Seattle Tacoma. Strange noises in old houses, cold spots, loud bumps, and disembodied whispers at night? What haunts this family, and who is the baby’s imaginary friend? [transcript]

Broadcast: Jul 14 2004 on NPR All Things ConsideredSeries: Ghost Hunters Subjects: Cultural, Technology

Last Man in the Moon 6:25 Barrett Golding

Transmissions from the last lunar life: Apollo 17, the last manned moon mission. No one's been back since their departure, December 14 1972. (Music: Racket Ship.) [transcript]

Broadcast: Jun 25 2004 on WNYC Radio Lab Subjects: Science, Travel, Technology

Haunted Cabin 17:46 Jake Warga

A night in the woods in an allegedly haunted cabin with a group of ghost hunters, with many reasons to look for the dead: AGHOST- Amateur Ghost Hunters of Seattle Tacoma

Broadcast: May 21 2004 on PRI/WBEZ This American LifeSeries: Ghost Hunters Subjects: Technology

Ghosts Monthly Meet 3:02 Jake Warga

More tall tales of ghost hunters. The producer follows fellow AGHOST members to their monthly meeeting at the regular time and place: late at night in a cemetery. (Take the Ghost Hunter’s Quiz.) [transcript]

Broadcast: May 17 2004 on NPR All Things ConsideredSeries: Ghost Hunters Subjects: Technology, Science

Language Removal Service 4:47 Larry Massett

Language without the words, leaving only the breaths, lip-smacks, ums and ahs: "These frozen portraits of a person’s speaking habits outline a spirit or soul that underlies that language," reports the Language Removal Service. ""laboratory that is the only one of its kind in the world -- facilities include our state-of-the-art vocal observation chamber and a special storage facility for our archives, including the world-famous Raymond Chronic Static Language library." [transcript]

Broadcast: Jun 11 2003 on NPR All Things ConsideredSeries: Language Removal Subjects: Comedy, Technology, Spoken Word

Radio Liberacion 24:19 Nancy Updike

A clandestine radio station set up by the CIA set up in the fifties, to overthrow Guatemala’s government. The coup success was in part due to power of radio. Or that’s what the CIA believed. For the first time in the USA, we hear the recently declassified broadcasts.

Broadcast: Nov 1 2001 on PRI/WBEZ This American Life Subjects: Hispanic, Politics, Technology, War