A foley artist adds sound effects for a film.
EvgeniyShkolenko/Getty Images
December 31, 2024
Whirr. Zoom! Plink plink. It’s a Mystery Sound extravaganza
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Bzzz. Shloop! Bang Bang. Wooooosh! It’s time for another Mystery Sound Extravaganza.
Join Molly and co-host Violet as they figure out what’s making some seriously mysterious noises.
Plus, they'll interview Foley artist Shelley Roden about the art of making sound effects for movies. And they'll help Bob sort out some mixed up mystery sounds! Tune in and turn on your ears, cuz it’s time to guess some confounding sounds!
Featured Guests:
Shelley Roden is an award-winning Foley artist at Skywalker Sound in Northern, CA. Read more about her work here.
Bonus audio: Shelley Roden guesses another mystery sound
Shelley Roden on the foley sound stage at Skywalker Sound, 2024.
Courtesy of Shelley Roden
Bonus audio: Shelley Roden describes Inside Out 2 scene
Shelley Roden wearing the shoes she used to create the sound of Anxiety's footsteps in Inside Out 2.
Courtesy of Shelley Roden
The rubber mask Shelley Roden used to create the sound of Hank in Finding Dory.
Courtesy of Shelley Roden
Audio Transcript
Download transcript (PDF)
VIOLET: You're listening to Brains On where we're serious about being curious.
CHILD 1: Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
[CLATTER]
BOB: Oh, hi. It's me Bob. I'm having the best day. You see, listeners have sent so many mystery sounds to Brains On that Molly asked me for a little assistance. She needs to put the sounds away in the mystery sound storeroom and so she asked me to help by doing one of my favorite things-- filing.
See, every mystery sound goes in its own special jar. Now let's see. We have here an electric toothbrush mystery sound. That's filed in the bathroom-related section right over here.
OK, let's see. This next one is, oh, fun, painting a wall with a roller brush. Almost as much fun as my number one favorite activity-- watching paint dry. Thrilling! This sound goes in the household maintenance section.
Wow! So many sounds left to sort. I bet I can carry more than one of these mystery sound jars at a time. 1, 2, 3, balanced just so. No problem.
I'll just walk carefully. Easy does it, Bob. Easy does it.
[CLINK]
Oh, dear! Oh dear! Oh, dear! I dropped the jars and the lids have popped off.
And-- [GULP] I don't know which lid goes on which jar. How will I know which sound is which? Molly!
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And my co-host today is Violet from Knoxville, Tennessee. Hi, Violet.
VIOLET: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today is a special day because it's time for our annual mystery sound extravaganza.
VIOLET: Yay! I can't wait.
MOLLY BLOOM: Violet, would you say you're good at guessing mystery sounds?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Which sounds do you find are easier for you to guess?
VIOLET: I think the ones that you hear in your everyday life, like the ones that are in your area are the easiest.
MOLLY BLOOM: And which ones do you find hard? I
VIOLET: Think the ones that you don't find in your area. I think, for example, you and me, we don't really hear sounds like at the beach. Because like where we live, we don't have beaches.
MOLLY BLOOM: Totally.
VIOLET: So that sound would be less familiar for us.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, Violet, it is time for you to guess a lot of--
[CRASH]
BOB: Molly! I ran all the way here from the mystery sound store room.
MOLLY BLOOM: Bob! Oh, my goodness. Are you OK?
BOB: I'm fine. Thank you for asking. But these mystery sounds, they are not OK.
VIOLET: Oh, no! Did somebody send in the sound of two frozen hot dogs being hit together again? That one was impossible to guess.
BOB: No, that's not it. And I love that sound, by the way.
MOLLY BLOOM: Me too.
BOB: It's these three jars.
VIOLET: I don't see any jars.
BOB: Oh, right. I found safe carrying spots because I didn't want to drop them again. I have one in my fanny pack, one in my left cargo pocket, and one in my right cargo pocket.
[CLINK]
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, what's the problem? They look like normal mystery sound storage jars to me.
BOB: Well, you see, I dropped them on the ground and I mixed up the lids. So I'm not sure which mystery sound is which.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, no worries, Bob. Violet and I can help you out.
VIOLET: Yeah, this is a great warm up for the rest of the mystery sounds we're about to guess.
BOB: Oh, great. Thank you. The three lids say fireplace crackling, grinding pepper, and clipping toenails.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, no problem. We got this. So we got fireplace crackling, grinding pepper, and clipping toenails. I've heard all three of those sounds in real life. Have you heard them before?
VIOLET: I think I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful . Well, let's hear them. See if we can help Bob. Here is the first one.
[CRUNCHING]
VIOLET: I think that's the grinding pepper.
MOLLY BLOOM: I think you're right. OK, let's try putting the lid on and see if it's right.
MILES: Hi. My name is Miles from Alameda, and that was the sound of me grinding pepper.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we did it!
VIOLET: Yes. Woo!
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, let's hear the next one.
[CLICKING]
VIOLET: I think that's clipping toenails.
MOLLY BLOOM: I think you're right. OK, let's hear the other one just to make sure we're right before we try the lids.
VIOLET: Yeah.
[ROAR, CRACKLE]
I think that's the fire crackling.
MOLLY BLOOM: I think you're right. OK. So the second one was toenail clipping. Third one, fireplace crackling. Let's see if we're right. Here's the lid.
NEAL: I'm Neal from Monument, Colorado and that was the sound of me clipping my toenails.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we did it!
VIOLET: Yes!
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. And fireplace crackling.
ALEC: Hi, my name is Alec. I'm from Portland, Oregon. That was the sound of my fireplace crackling.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh! Violet,
BOTH: We did it!
BOB: Wow! You two have great ears. Thanks for the help.
[SIGHS]
Back into the cargo pockets and fanny pack you go, little jars.
VIOLET: Have fun with the rest of your mystery sound filing, Bob.
BOB: You know I will.
CHILD 2: (SINGING) Brains On On On
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, after that little side quest, thanks to Bob, it's time to really get this show off the ground. It's time for our first--
[BLOOP]
CHILD 3: (WHISPER) Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Violet, are you ready?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
[WHOOSHING, RATTLING, CREAKING]
What do you think, Violet?
VIOLET: I feel like it has something to do with a motor. And you're like-- I don't know how to describe it when you take your hand and there's a handle, and then move it in a circle like grinding.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, so a motor. A grinder maybe.
VIOLET: Yeah. I think it may be a wood chipper.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, OK. Let's hear it again. I'm going to give you a hint this time. The hint this is something that you could go inside. So here it is.
VIOLET: OK.
[WHOOSHING, RATTLING, CREAKING]
MOLLY BLOOM: What do you think?
VIOLET: I feel like it has to do something like maybe where they turn the water into electricity. I feel like it could be in one of those buildings.
MOLLY BLOOM: I mean you were definitely right. There is a motor involved, for sure. Are you ready for the answer?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
SOPHIE: Hello. My name is Sophie and I'm Arlington, Massachusetts. And the sound that you just heard was a gondola ride on my family's trip to Mont-Tremblant, Canada.
The high pitched sound was the wind coming through the window. The bumpy sound was our gondola going over the wheels on the support tower. The creaking is us moving around and the benches. It's really fun if you have a chance to go there.
MOLLY BLOOM: So, as you said at the beginning of the show, this is one of those sounds that you don't encounter in your everyday life--
VIOLET: No.
MOLLY BLOOM: --unless you've been to this place in Canada. So basically what it is, it's like a little car, like a train car that takes you up a mountain. So the wheels, and the wind, and the creaking, that's what was happening there.
[WHOOSHING, RATTLING, CREAKING]
All right. Are you ready for the second mystery sound?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
[THUMPING]
All right. What do you think?
VIOLET: I sort of feel like-- why do I feel like it has something to do with either fireworks or popcorn?
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh! Yeah, there's definitely repeated noises happening. I'm going to give you another hint. This sound is being made by a person, and they're doing an activity that is in the Olympics.
[THUMPING]
What do you think?
VIOLET: I have no idea.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
It's something you have to wear special gloves for.
VIOLET: Is it like punching one of those hangy things that you punch in boxing?
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, very good guess. Let's hear the answer.
DOMINIC: My name is Dominic, and I'm from St. Louis, Missouri. That was the sound of me punching my punching bag. I like to punch it because it helps me get my angers out. Before we got my punching bag, I would just throw myself in the ground and cry and can use my voice really stern. But now that I have my punching bag, I can just punch it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice work, Violet.
VIOLET: I'm just imagining that kid just punching the punching bag.
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly.
[LAUGHS]
I had one when I was little, actually, when I was like four. And it felt great. Yeah, mine was like the one that stood up on the ground and it had a clown painted on it.
[LAUGHS]
And it was like weighted on the bottom, and you'd punch it. And it would come back up. I guess, yeah. Good times.
[THUMPING]
Violet, excellent, excellent job. We're going to take a quick break and then we'll be back with some more mystery sounds. Keep those ears ready.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
We're working on an episode about how paper is made. Paper is all around us. There's pizza boxes and toilet paper, books and wrapping paper. We use it to pay people, wipe up messes, share ideas, and so much more.
And we want to see your paper creations. What have you made out of paper? Origami, paper planes? Violet, what's something cool you've made out of paper?
VIOLET: Once I made this little mini trash can that you can put on your desk.
MOLLY BLOOM: What? Out of paper?
VIOLET: Yeah, so you don't-- like cardboard and paper. But what you do is you just put it on your desk so you don't have to walk and then throw something in the trash.
MOLLY BLOOM: I love that idea. That's so cool. What else have you made out of paper?
VIOLET: I've made a lot of things for-- I have this Barbie house I've made out of recycled materials. And a lot of it was made out of paper.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is so inspiring. So creative. All right, listeners, we want to see pictures of your paper creations. Take a photo and send it to us at brainson.org/contact. While you're there, send us your mystery sounds and questions.
VIOLET: Like this one.
GRACIE: Hi, I'm Gracie and I'm from Knoxville, Tennessee. And my question is, how do you make bricks and why are they red?
MOLLY BLOOM: You can find answers to questions like these on the Moment of Um podcast, a short dose of facts and fun every weekday. Find Moment of Um and more at brainson.org.
VIOLET: Keep listening.
ANNOUNCER: Brains On universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Brains On, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore.
[WHOOSHING]
FAN: Brains On. I'm their biggest fan. I also love Smash Boom Best, a fun debate podcast for kids and families. Listen, I will play you Smash Boom Best. You will love.
HOST: To refresh your memory, The Ugly Duckling goes like this. A bunch of duck eggs hatch and the cute little ducklings go quack, quack, quack.
[QUACKING]
Mother Duck is super happy with her eggs when crack the last one explodes and out comes this--
[BUZZ]
FAN: Zorp! Where did the signal go?
[BEEP]
Must find Smash Boom Best now!
ANNOUNCER: Listen to Smash Boom Best wherever you get your podcasts.
MAN: (SINGING) Buh buh buh buh ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Brains On
VIOLET: You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm Violet.
MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. And today is a very special day.
VIOLET: It's the mystery sound extravaganza.
[BLOOP]
CHILD 3: Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: But first, a detour. Violet, have you ever watched a movie where a character is walking down a long, echoey hallway?
VIOLET: Yes, I believe it was Muppets Haunted Mansion.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, an excellent movie. So, yes. So the Muppet was walking down the hall. But guess what? Muppets don't have feet so they need a little bit of help.
VIOLET: Those sounds are made by specialists called Foley artists.
MOLLY BLOOM: Joining us now is Shelley Roden. She's a Foley artist that has made sounds for movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Despicable Me, Inside Out, and many, many more. Hi, Shelley.
SHELLEY RODEN: Hi, everybody.
VIOLET: So, Shelley, where are you right now?
SHELLEY RODEN: So right now I am where I work every day, and that is called a Foley stage. And my Foley stage is basically a room that has built-in floor surfaces like tile and wood and metal and cement. And I even have a large dirt pit in the center of the room. We also have a water pit where I can immerse myself in water and make sounds of people swimming.
And then all around me is tools like a ski boot or a typewriter or a flashlight, things from everyday life that I repurpose to create the sound effects for the movies that you watch. And I also have microphones in the room so that somebody on another side of soundproof glass can record me. And they're called the Foley mixer.
VIOLET: It seems like it would be easier to get sound effects or Foley sounds when you're filming a movie. Why do Foley artists have to remake them?
SHELLEY RODEN: OK, so if we take something like Guardians of the Galaxy, a lot of the actors on set are not really on a spaceship. They're actually on a set that's probably made out of wood. So if you hear their footsteps and running around on wood, then you'll say to yourself, wait a minute, they're supposed to be on a spaceship. I want to hear metal.
If I'm doing Gomorrah, I will put on some shoes that look like her shoes or sound like they're her shoes, set up a spaceship surface, and then follow her. So I set up a microphone pointing at my feet, and I watch the screen and perform at the same time that she is moving. I become her so that the footsteps you are hearing sound like Gomorrah's.
VIOLET: Is there a difference between sound effects like explosions or lasers and Foley?
SHELLEY RODEN: Foley is sound effects. But the difference between sound effects and Foley is sound effects are usually edited from a library of already recorded sounds. And these sounds are collected anywhere.
It can be jet sounds. It can be a door slam. It can be the hooves of an animal running. It can be anything.
Foley is performed sound effects with things that are available within a room that's soundproof. And Foley artists walk in sync to picture watching the screen and mimicking what the actors are doing with their hands or with their feet. So that is the difference between Foley and sound effects.
VIOLET: Oh, that makes sense.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is so cool.
VIOLET: Now we're going to play some of the mystery sounds we've used in our past Brains On episodes, and we want to see if you can guess what the sound is. And then tell us how you might use the sound in a movie or a TV show. Sound good?
SHELLEY RODEN: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Here is the first sound.
[CRINKLING]
All right, Shelley, what do you think that sound was.
SHELLEY RODEN: OK, so as I'm listening to the sound, I hear a bit of moisture. I hear twigginess, but it's thin. And I do hear some cloth moving.
So that somebody's hands probably manipulating this thing in the air. It's not connected to anything, and it's small-ish. Let's see. I would say just some twigs or a pine cone perhaps being smooshed.
MOLLY BLOOM: I love hearing you talk through that. You are such a sound expert. So that was the sound of an onion being peeled.
VIOLET: Oh! You're close Shelley.
SHELLEY RODEN: Wow! That is amazing.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. So that was peeling an onion. You were close. You knew it was something organic being manipulated by hands. So what would you use that for in a movie?
SHELLEY RODEN: OK, that is such an amazing sound. I am definitely going to use that in the future. Thank you for the inspiration.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGH]
SHELLEY RODEN: I would use that probably for-- the thing that I visualized was a creature eating something.
VIOLET: That makes sense.
MOLLY BLOOM: I love that.
SHELLEY RODEN: But it also could be like the footstep of somebody creeping through a forest.
VIOLET: Like with leaves?
SHELLEY RODEN: Exactly.
VIOLET: Like a lot of crunchy leaves.
SHELLEY RODEN: Yeah, and maybe it just rained because it did sound wet to me. So it's up to your imagination what you want that to be, which is that's the part of the fun of Foley.
MOLLY BLOOM: So cool. All right, we have one more for you to guess. Here it is.
[SQUELCHING, PLOPPING]
So, guys, what do you think it is?
VIOLET: I think it's something or someone eating something. I don't know why that just popped into my mind.
MOLLY BLOOM: What do you think, Shelley?
SHELLEY RODEN: That's a great idea because I hear a cavity, a resonant cavity, which sounds like an apple being eaten. The sound that you hear in your head when you're eating an apple, like, kchow!
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, yeah.
SHELLEY RODEN: So I hear that, but I believe it could be what I call a shammy cloth. And it's a wet cloth. It's a great Foley tool.
We get these at auto parts stores because you use a shammy to dry your car after you've washed it. It absorbs a lot of liquid. So what I hear is somebody pulling the shammy up off of a surface that's neutral like cement, and then plopping it back, like, shloop, plop! That's what I imagine it to be. What is it?
MOLLY BLOOM: You're so close, Shelley, because this is the sound of a kid pulling on their wet bathing suit like a top, like a rash guard. So it's against their skin. So it is basically a piece of cloth against a surface. It just happens to be someone's shirt.
SHELLEY RODEN: That's great.
MOLLY BLOOM: So what would you use that kind of sound for, do you think?
SHELLEY RODEN: So I made the sounds of Hank, the octopus in Finding Dory. So I think I would use that for if he gets stuck on a surface and he's trying to pull his tentacles off to free himself. Because he was an escape artist.
Then as he lifts up his tentacle, his leg, I would do, shloop. I would add that. And then when he places it down, plop, just have the plop against the skin again.
VIOLET: Can you show us a few examples of sounds that people might have heard in their homes that you use for movies and TV shows?
SHELLEY RODEN: Absolutely. And speaking of Hank, I have something here that I used for his body movements. Let me show you what I've got.
[SQUISHING]
MOLLY BLOOM: To me, it sounds like, I don't know, rubber gloves or something. What do you think?
VIOLET: I was thinking the same thing, but like a plastic bag almost. I don't know why I was thinking--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, yeah.
VIOLET: Maybe like a balloon--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, yeah.
VIOLET: Or a whoopee cushion, like trying to open the opening at the end of a balloon.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, totally.
SHELLEY RODEN: These are awesome guesses. You guys are right on because I have a rubber mask.
BOTH: Oh!
SHELLEY RODEN: Yeah. It's made of latex. And latex masks are really hard to find. I found this in a Halloween shop. And it's the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.
MOLLY BLOOM: [GIGGLES]
SHELLEY RODEN: So that's this part. There's a high part. Check it out. Here's what it sounds like by itself.
[SQUISHING]
That's the rubber mask. But I'm also-- to make Hank sound like he's a big octopus-- putting this against a big tube, an inner tube that you might go down the river on. And it's rubber as well. So that's what this sounds like.
[SQUISH]
You see?
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, cool.
SHELLEY RODEN: So those two together make up Hank because it's the high [SQUISH] and then the low [SQUISH] playing together to create this character.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's amazing. All right. Do you have another one for us?
SHELLEY RODEN: Sure, I do. It's going to take me a moment because I have to put something in its place. And I'm not going to reveal what it is yet. OK, so here is a demonstration. Let me know if you can hear it.
[RATTLING]
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we could hear it.
VIOLET: I feel like you're like-- you take like a plastic spoon and you're hitting it on a keyboard and then a metal bucket.
SHELLEY RODEN: Wow! Really good brain work there.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, my guess was not as good. I was saying maybe an egg beater, one of those cool dealies.
VIOLET: Oh, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: But I don't really think that's it, but that's what popped in my head.
SHELLEY RODEN: Because of the way I was doing it. The way I was performing, it sounded like an egg beater.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
VIOLET: (WHISPER) What is it?
SHELLEY RODEN: So this is the sound that I made for a cockroach. Oh, It was a cockroach in Despicable Me 4. So he runs around all the time, and he hangs out with his friend Maxime.
So to make him sound like he's traveling from one place to the next, I set up one piece of metal and then I set up another piece of metal. And then on my hands, I have these cotton gloves with fake nails taped to the end. So that creates this-- [RATTLING] that kind of sound. And then I have two metal boxes, one less resonant [RATTLE] and then one that's very resonant. [RATTLE]
MOLLY BLOOM: Amazing. Do you have one more you can share with us? Some footsteps, maybe?
SHELLEY RODEN: Yeah, I'm going to ask you guys, out of all the movies, maybe a recent movie, to figure out which character I might be-- I might be walking. So let me put on some shoes. One moment please.
I'll give you a hint. I'll say the character has a glass ball in their hand and they're placing it in water. And they're very excited.
[FOOTSTEPS]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh. You said they're putting a glass in the water. I think I have an idea. What do you think, Violet?
VIOLET: I think I know what character it is. I think it's either Anxiety or Joy in the new Inside Out movie. I feel like I just have a sense--
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes.
VIOLET: --that's what it is.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's my guess, too.
SHELLEY RODEN: Guess what? You nailed it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yay!
SHELLEY RODEN: You got it.
VIOLET: Who was it?
SHELLEY RODEN: Anxiety.
VIOLET: Oh, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: So cool.
VIOLET: I love that movie. I watched that movie.
MOLLY BLOOM: I just watched it, too. Oh, my gosh!
VIOLET: Yeah.
SHELLEY RODEN: Anxiety is really intense and she's very quick. And actually, the sample I gave you was probably slowed down compared to how she really moves. I had to move very fast.
MOLLY BLOOM: Shelley, thank you so much for talking with us. This was so fun.
VIOLET: Thanks, Shelley.
SHELLEY RODEN: Thank you so much for having me here. I had a lot of fun with you today.
MOLLY BLOOM: We have even more cool Foley sound effects and stories to share with you on our website. Head to brainson.org to see pictures of her tools and hear more.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
OK, Violet, we have two more mystery sounds before we wrap up the episode. Are you ready?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here is the next one.
[BEEPING, GRINDING]
What do you think?
VIOLET: Why do I feel like it's a garbage disposal? But a really heavy duty one because it was like that made a really loud screech for five seconds. I feel like somebody did it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, it was really loud. And did you notice the beeping before the loud sound?
VIOLET: I noticed the beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
MOLLY BLOOM: So what do you think could make the beep sounds?
VIOLET: I feel like it could be an oven in the background. Because I know my oven makes that sound, the beep.
MOLLY BLOOM: I'm going to give you a hint that this is on somebody's door. Here's the sound.
[BEEPING, WHIRRING]
VIOLET: I think I know what it is.
MOLLY BLOOM: What?
VIOLET: I think it's like one of those things that has the keypad and they're typing it in. And then it just made this alarm.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready for the answer?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
ZOE: Hi, I'm Zoe and I live in Arizona. That was me unlocking my keypad lock to my house.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh! You were half right.
VIOLET: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: There was definitely a keypad. And that loud noise was actually the lock unlocking.
VIOLET: That is weird, in my opinion.
MOLLY BLOOM: I mean, it's cool because if you go to-- if you go home and you don't have your keys, no problem. I can still get in the house.
VIOLET: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Just need to remember a code. We have one final mystery sound. Here it is.
[WHOOSHING, RUMBLING]
What do you think?
VIOLET: I think you're like-- I think somebody is at a really high altitude. And then there's a really fast jet coming by.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, very nice. Let's hear it again. See if you feel the same.
[WHOOSHING, RUMBLING]
Do you have new thoughts? You want to stick with your jet answer?
VIOLET: I think I'm going to stick with that because I've been in pretty high altitude. I went to the mountains in Denver, Colorado once. And I've recorded up there and it sounds that way. The background noise sounds the same.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here is the answer.
LILA: My name is Lila.
LACEY: And my name is Lacey. I'm from Phuket, Thailand.
LILA: The sound that you just heard was the airplane taking off.
MOLLY BLOOM: So it's an airplane taking off. Nice work. Yeah, I hear that sound a lot because we live under a flight path. So when I sit in my backyard, it's all airplanes all day.
[LAUGHS]
VIOLET: It's funny.
MOLLY BLOOM: You did such an amazing job interviewing our guest, guessing all these mystery sounds. It's not easy and you did an amazing job.
VIOLET: Thanks.
MOLLY BLOOM: If you have a mystery sound you'd like to share with us, you can send them to us at brainson.org/contact. Remember to tell us what the sound is at the end so Bob can file it correctly.
VIOLET: That's it for this episode of Brains On.
MOLLY BLOOM: This episode was written by me, Molly Bloom. Our editors are--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
MOLLY BLOOM: We had engineering help from Tim Berry and Josh Savageau with sound design and original music by--
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
VIOLET: We had production help from the rest of the Brains On universe team.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie DuPont.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
VIOLET: And--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: Beth Perlman is our executive producer and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Ramez Elgammal, Katie Elgammal, and Eric Ringham.
VIOLET: Brains On is a nonprofit public radio program.
MOLLY BLOOM: Join Smarty Pass for bonus episodes and ad-free versions of all four shows in the Brains On universe. Become a Smarty Pass subscriber today for just $5 a month or $45 a year. Head to brainson.org to learn more about Smarty Pass.
Now it's time for the Brains Honor Roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives.
[LISTING HONOR ROLL]
MAN 2: (SINGING) Brains On
Bye bye
MOLLY BLOOM: We'll be back next week with an episode all about paper.
VIOLET: Thanks for listening.
CHILD 1: Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
[CLATTER]
BOB: Oh, hi. It's me Bob. I'm having the best day. You see, listeners have sent so many mystery sounds to Brains On that Molly asked me for a little assistance. She needs to put the sounds away in the mystery sound storeroom and so she asked me to help by doing one of my favorite things-- filing.
See, every mystery sound goes in its own special jar. Now let's see. We have here an electric toothbrush mystery sound. That's filed in the bathroom-related section right over here.
OK, let's see. This next one is, oh, fun, painting a wall with a roller brush. Almost as much fun as my number one favorite activity-- watching paint dry. Thrilling! This sound goes in the household maintenance section.
Wow! So many sounds left to sort. I bet I can carry more than one of these mystery sound jars at a time. 1, 2, 3, balanced just so. No problem.
I'll just walk carefully. Easy does it, Bob. Easy does it.
[CLINK]
Oh, dear! Oh dear! Oh, dear! I dropped the jars and the lids have popped off.
And-- [GULP] I don't know which lid goes on which jar. How will I know which sound is which? Molly!
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And my co-host today is Violet from Knoxville, Tennessee. Hi, Violet.
VIOLET: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today is a special day because it's time for our annual mystery sound extravaganza.
VIOLET: Yay! I can't wait.
MOLLY BLOOM: Violet, would you say you're good at guessing mystery sounds?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Which sounds do you find are easier for you to guess?
VIOLET: I think the ones that you hear in your everyday life, like the ones that are in your area are the easiest.
MOLLY BLOOM: And which ones do you find hard? I
VIOLET: Think the ones that you don't find in your area. I think, for example, you and me, we don't really hear sounds like at the beach. Because like where we live, we don't have beaches.
MOLLY BLOOM: Totally.
VIOLET: So that sound would be less familiar for us.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, Violet, it is time for you to guess a lot of--
[CRASH]
BOB: Molly! I ran all the way here from the mystery sound store room.
MOLLY BLOOM: Bob! Oh, my goodness. Are you OK?
BOB: I'm fine. Thank you for asking. But these mystery sounds, they are not OK.
VIOLET: Oh, no! Did somebody send in the sound of two frozen hot dogs being hit together again? That one was impossible to guess.
BOB: No, that's not it. And I love that sound, by the way.
MOLLY BLOOM: Me too.
BOB: It's these three jars.
VIOLET: I don't see any jars.
BOB: Oh, right. I found safe carrying spots because I didn't want to drop them again. I have one in my fanny pack, one in my left cargo pocket, and one in my right cargo pocket.
[CLINK]
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, what's the problem? They look like normal mystery sound storage jars to me.
BOB: Well, you see, I dropped them on the ground and I mixed up the lids. So I'm not sure which mystery sound is which.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, no worries, Bob. Violet and I can help you out.
VIOLET: Yeah, this is a great warm up for the rest of the mystery sounds we're about to guess.
BOB: Oh, great. Thank you. The three lids say fireplace crackling, grinding pepper, and clipping toenails.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, no problem. We got this. So we got fireplace crackling, grinding pepper, and clipping toenails. I've heard all three of those sounds in real life. Have you heard them before?
VIOLET: I think I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful . Well, let's hear them. See if we can help Bob. Here is the first one.
[CRUNCHING]
VIOLET: I think that's the grinding pepper.
MOLLY BLOOM: I think you're right. OK, let's try putting the lid on and see if it's right.
MILES: Hi. My name is Miles from Alameda, and that was the sound of me grinding pepper.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we did it!
VIOLET: Yes. Woo!
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, let's hear the next one.
[CLICKING]
VIOLET: I think that's clipping toenails.
MOLLY BLOOM: I think you're right. OK, let's hear the other one just to make sure we're right before we try the lids.
VIOLET: Yeah.
[ROAR, CRACKLE]
I think that's the fire crackling.
MOLLY BLOOM: I think you're right. OK. So the second one was toenail clipping. Third one, fireplace crackling. Let's see if we're right. Here's the lid.
NEAL: I'm Neal from Monument, Colorado and that was the sound of me clipping my toenails.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we did it!
VIOLET: Yes!
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. And fireplace crackling.
ALEC: Hi, my name is Alec. I'm from Portland, Oregon. That was the sound of my fireplace crackling.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh! Violet,
BOTH: We did it!
BOB: Wow! You two have great ears. Thanks for the help.
[SIGHS]
Back into the cargo pockets and fanny pack you go, little jars.
VIOLET: Have fun with the rest of your mystery sound filing, Bob.
BOB: You know I will.
CHILD 2: (SINGING) Brains On On On
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, after that little side quest, thanks to Bob, it's time to really get this show off the ground. It's time for our first--
[BLOOP]
CHILD 3: (WHISPER) Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Violet, are you ready?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
[WHOOSHING, RATTLING, CREAKING]
What do you think, Violet?
VIOLET: I feel like it has something to do with a motor. And you're like-- I don't know how to describe it when you take your hand and there's a handle, and then move it in a circle like grinding.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, so a motor. A grinder maybe.
VIOLET: Yeah. I think it may be a wood chipper.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, OK. Let's hear it again. I'm going to give you a hint this time. The hint this is something that you could go inside. So here it is.
VIOLET: OK.
[WHOOSHING, RATTLING, CREAKING]
MOLLY BLOOM: What do you think?
VIOLET: I feel like it has to do something like maybe where they turn the water into electricity. I feel like it could be in one of those buildings.
MOLLY BLOOM: I mean you were definitely right. There is a motor involved, for sure. Are you ready for the answer?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
SOPHIE: Hello. My name is Sophie and I'm Arlington, Massachusetts. And the sound that you just heard was a gondola ride on my family's trip to Mont-Tremblant, Canada.
The high pitched sound was the wind coming through the window. The bumpy sound was our gondola going over the wheels on the support tower. The creaking is us moving around and the benches. It's really fun if you have a chance to go there.
MOLLY BLOOM: So, as you said at the beginning of the show, this is one of those sounds that you don't encounter in your everyday life--
VIOLET: No.
MOLLY BLOOM: --unless you've been to this place in Canada. So basically what it is, it's like a little car, like a train car that takes you up a mountain. So the wheels, and the wind, and the creaking, that's what was happening there.
[WHOOSHING, RATTLING, CREAKING]
All right. Are you ready for the second mystery sound?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
[THUMPING]
All right. What do you think?
VIOLET: I sort of feel like-- why do I feel like it has something to do with either fireworks or popcorn?
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh! Yeah, there's definitely repeated noises happening. I'm going to give you another hint. This sound is being made by a person, and they're doing an activity that is in the Olympics.
[THUMPING]
What do you think?
VIOLET: I have no idea.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
It's something you have to wear special gloves for.
VIOLET: Is it like punching one of those hangy things that you punch in boxing?
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, very good guess. Let's hear the answer.
DOMINIC: My name is Dominic, and I'm from St. Louis, Missouri. That was the sound of me punching my punching bag. I like to punch it because it helps me get my angers out. Before we got my punching bag, I would just throw myself in the ground and cry and can use my voice really stern. But now that I have my punching bag, I can just punch it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice work, Violet.
VIOLET: I'm just imagining that kid just punching the punching bag.
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly.
[LAUGHS]
I had one when I was little, actually, when I was like four. And it felt great. Yeah, mine was like the one that stood up on the ground and it had a clown painted on it.
[LAUGHS]
And it was like weighted on the bottom, and you'd punch it. And it would come back up. I guess, yeah. Good times.
[THUMPING]
Violet, excellent, excellent job. We're going to take a quick break and then we'll be back with some more mystery sounds. Keep those ears ready.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
We're working on an episode about how paper is made. Paper is all around us. There's pizza boxes and toilet paper, books and wrapping paper. We use it to pay people, wipe up messes, share ideas, and so much more.
And we want to see your paper creations. What have you made out of paper? Origami, paper planes? Violet, what's something cool you've made out of paper?
VIOLET: Once I made this little mini trash can that you can put on your desk.
MOLLY BLOOM: What? Out of paper?
VIOLET: Yeah, so you don't-- like cardboard and paper. But what you do is you just put it on your desk so you don't have to walk and then throw something in the trash.
MOLLY BLOOM: I love that idea. That's so cool. What else have you made out of paper?
VIOLET: I've made a lot of things for-- I have this Barbie house I've made out of recycled materials. And a lot of it was made out of paper.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is so inspiring. So creative. All right, listeners, we want to see pictures of your paper creations. Take a photo and send it to us at brainson.org/contact. While you're there, send us your mystery sounds and questions.
VIOLET: Like this one.
GRACIE: Hi, I'm Gracie and I'm from Knoxville, Tennessee. And my question is, how do you make bricks and why are they red?
MOLLY BLOOM: You can find answers to questions like these on the Moment of Um podcast, a short dose of facts and fun every weekday. Find Moment of Um and more at brainson.org.
VIOLET: Keep listening.
ANNOUNCER: Brains On universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Brains On, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore.
[WHOOSHING]
FAN: Brains On. I'm their biggest fan. I also love Smash Boom Best, a fun debate podcast for kids and families. Listen, I will play you Smash Boom Best. You will love.
HOST: To refresh your memory, The Ugly Duckling goes like this. A bunch of duck eggs hatch and the cute little ducklings go quack, quack, quack.
[QUACKING]
Mother Duck is super happy with her eggs when crack the last one explodes and out comes this--
[BUZZ]
FAN: Zorp! Where did the signal go?
[BEEP]
Must find Smash Boom Best now!
ANNOUNCER: Listen to Smash Boom Best wherever you get your podcasts.
MAN: (SINGING) Buh buh buh buh ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Brains On
VIOLET: You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios. I'm Violet.
MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. And today is a very special day.
VIOLET: It's the mystery sound extravaganza.
[BLOOP]
CHILD 3: Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: But first, a detour. Violet, have you ever watched a movie where a character is walking down a long, echoey hallway?
VIOLET: Yes, I believe it was Muppets Haunted Mansion.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, an excellent movie. So, yes. So the Muppet was walking down the hall. But guess what? Muppets don't have feet so they need a little bit of help.
VIOLET: Those sounds are made by specialists called Foley artists.
MOLLY BLOOM: Joining us now is Shelley Roden. She's a Foley artist that has made sounds for movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Despicable Me, Inside Out, and many, many more. Hi, Shelley.
SHELLEY RODEN: Hi, everybody.
VIOLET: So, Shelley, where are you right now?
SHELLEY RODEN: So right now I am where I work every day, and that is called a Foley stage. And my Foley stage is basically a room that has built-in floor surfaces like tile and wood and metal and cement. And I even have a large dirt pit in the center of the room. We also have a water pit where I can immerse myself in water and make sounds of people swimming.
And then all around me is tools like a ski boot or a typewriter or a flashlight, things from everyday life that I repurpose to create the sound effects for the movies that you watch. And I also have microphones in the room so that somebody on another side of soundproof glass can record me. And they're called the Foley mixer.
VIOLET: It seems like it would be easier to get sound effects or Foley sounds when you're filming a movie. Why do Foley artists have to remake them?
SHELLEY RODEN: OK, so if we take something like Guardians of the Galaxy, a lot of the actors on set are not really on a spaceship. They're actually on a set that's probably made out of wood. So if you hear their footsteps and running around on wood, then you'll say to yourself, wait a minute, they're supposed to be on a spaceship. I want to hear metal.
If I'm doing Gomorrah, I will put on some shoes that look like her shoes or sound like they're her shoes, set up a spaceship surface, and then follow her. So I set up a microphone pointing at my feet, and I watch the screen and perform at the same time that she is moving. I become her so that the footsteps you are hearing sound like Gomorrah's.
VIOLET: Is there a difference between sound effects like explosions or lasers and Foley?
SHELLEY RODEN: Foley is sound effects. But the difference between sound effects and Foley is sound effects are usually edited from a library of already recorded sounds. And these sounds are collected anywhere.
It can be jet sounds. It can be a door slam. It can be the hooves of an animal running. It can be anything.
Foley is performed sound effects with things that are available within a room that's soundproof. And Foley artists walk in sync to picture watching the screen and mimicking what the actors are doing with their hands or with their feet. So that is the difference between Foley and sound effects.
VIOLET: Oh, that makes sense.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is so cool.
VIOLET: Now we're going to play some of the mystery sounds we've used in our past Brains On episodes, and we want to see if you can guess what the sound is. And then tell us how you might use the sound in a movie or a TV show. Sound good?
SHELLEY RODEN: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Here is the first sound.
[CRINKLING]
All right, Shelley, what do you think that sound was.
SHELLEY RODEN: OK, so as I'm listening to the sound, I hear a bit of moisture. I hear twigginess, but it's thin. And I do hear some cloth moving.
So that somebody's hands probably manipulating this thing in the air. It's not connected to anything, and it's small-ish. Let's see. I would say just some twigs or a pine cone perhaps being smooshed.
MOLLY BLOOM: I love hearing you talk through that. You are such a sound expert. So that was the sound of an onion being peeled.
VIOLET: Oh! You're close Shelley.
SHELLEY RODEN: Wow! That is amazing.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. So that was peeling an onion. You were close. You knew it was something organic being manipulated by hands. So what would you use that for in a movie?
SHELLEY RODEN: OK, that is such an amazing sound. I am definitely going to use that in the future. Thank you for the inspiration.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGH]
SHELLEY RODEN: I would use that probably for-- the thing that I visualized was a creature eating something.
VIOLET: That makes sense.
MOLLY BLOOM: I love that.
SHELLEY RODEN: But it also could be like the footstep of somebody creeping through a forest.
VIOLET: Like with leaves?
SHELLEY RODEN: Exactly.
VIOLET: Like a lot of crunchy leaves.
SHELLEY RODEN: Yeah, and maybe it just rained because it did sound wet to me. So it's up to your imagination what you want that to be, which is that's the part of the fun of Foley.
MOLLY BLOOM: So cool. All right, we have one more for you to guess. Here it is.
[SQUELCHING, PLOPPING]
So, guys, what do you think it is?
VIOLET: I think it's something or someone eating something. I don't know why that just popped into my mind.
MOLLY BLOOM: What do you think, Shelley?
SHELLEY RODEN: That's a great idea because I hear a cavity, a resonant cavity, which sounds like an apple being eaten. The sound that you hear in your head when you're eating an apple, like, kchow!
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, yeah.
SHELLEY RODEN: So I hear that, but I believe it could be what I call a shammy cloth. And it's a wet cloth. It's a great Foley tool.
We get these at auto parts stores because you use a shammy to dry your car after you've washed it. It absorbs a lot of liquid. So what I hear is somebody pulling the shammy up off of a surface that's neutral like cement, and then plopping it back, like, shloop, plop! That's what I imagine it to be. What is it?
MOLLY BLOOM: You're so close, Shelley, because this is the sound of a kid pulling on their wet bathing suit like a top, like a rash guard. So it's against their skin. So it is basically a piece of cloth against a surface. It just happens to be someone's shirt.
SHELLEY RODEN: That's great.
MOLLY BLOOM: So what would you use that kind of sound for, do you think?
SHELLEY RODEN: So I made the sounds of Hank, the octopus in Finding Dory. So I think I would use that for if he gets stuck on a surface and he's trying to pull his tentacles off to free himself. Because he was an escape artist.
Then as he lifts up his tentacle, his leg, I would do, shloop. I would add that. And then when he places it down, plop, just have the plop against the skin again.
VIOLET: Can you show us a few examples of sounds that people might have heard in their homes that you use for movies and TV shows?
SHELLEY RODEN: Absolutely. And speaking of Hank, I have something here that I used for his body movements. Let me show you what I've got.
[SQUISHING]
MOLLY BLOOM: To me, it sounds like, I don't know, rubber gloves or something. What do you think?
VIOLET: I was thinking the same thing, but like a plastic bag almost. I don't know why I was thinking--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, yeah.
VIOLET: Maybe like a balloon--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, yeah.
VIOLET: Or a whoopee cushion, like trying to open the opening at the end of a balloon.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, totally.
SHELLEY RODEN: These are awesome guesses. You guys are right on because I have a rubber mask.
BOTH: Oh!
SHELLEY RODEN: Yeah. It's made of latex. And latex masks are really hard to find. I found this in a Halloween shop. And it's the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.
MOLLY BLOOM: [GIGGLES]
SHELLEY RODEN: So that's this part. There's a high part. Check it out. Here's what it sounds like by itself.
[SQUISHING]
That's the rubber mask. But I'm also-- to make Hank sound like he's a big octopus-- putting this against a big tube, an inner tube that you might go down the river on. And it's rubber as well. So that's what this sounds like.
[SQUISH]
You see?
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, cool.
SHELLEY RODEN: So those two together make up Hank because it's the high [SQUISH] and then the low [SQUISH] playing together to create this character.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's amazing. All right. Do you have another one for us?
SHELLEY RODEN: Sure, I do. It's going to take me a moment because I have to put something in its place. And I'm not going to reveal what it is yet. OK, so here is a demonstration. Let me know if you can hear it.
[RATTLING]
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes, we could hear it.
VIOLET: I feel like you're like-- you take like a plastic spoon and you're hitting it on a keyboard and then a metal bucket.
SHELLEY RODEN: Wow! Really good brain work there.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, my guess was not as good. I was saying maybe an egg beater, one of those cool dealies.
VIOLET: Oh, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: But I don't really think that's it, but that's what popped in my head.
SHELLEY RODEN: Because of the way I was doing it. The way I was performing, it sounded like an egg beater.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
VIOLET: (WHISPER) What is it?
SHELLEY RODEN: So this is the sound that I made for a cockroach. Oh, It was a cockroach in Despicable Me 4. So he runs around all the time, and he hangs out with his friend Maxime.
So to make him sound like he's traveling from one place to the next, I set up one piece of metal and then I set up another piece of metal. And then on my hands, I have these cotton gloves with fake nails taped to the end. So that creates this-- [RATTLING] that kind of sound. And then I have two metal boxes, one less resonant [RATTLE] and then one that's very resonant. [RATTLE]
MOLLY BLOOM: Amazing. Do you have one more you can share with us? Some footsteps, maybe?
SHELLEY RODEN: Yeah, I'm going to ask you guys, out of all the movies, maybe a recent movie, to figure out which character I might be-- I might be walking. So let me put on some shoes. One moment please.
I'll give you a hint. I'll say the character has a glass ball in their hand and they're placing it in water. And they're very excited.
[FOOTSTEPS]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh. You said they're putting a glass in the water. I think I have an idea. What do you think, Violet?
VIOLET: I think I know what character it is. I think it's either Anxiety or Joy in the new Inside Out movie. I feel like I just have a sense--
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes.
VIOLET: --that's what it is.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's my guess, too.
SHELLEY RODEN: Guess what? You nailed it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yay!
SHELLEY RODEN: You got it.
VIOLET: Who was it?
SHELLEY RODEN: Anxiety.
VIOLET: Oh, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: So cool.
VIOLET: I love that movie. I watched that movie.
MOLLY BLOOM: I just watched it, too. Oh, my gosh!
VIOLET: Yeah.
SHELLEY RODEN: Anxiety is really intense and she's very quick. And actually, the sample I gave you was probably slowed down compared to how she really moves. I had to move very fast.
MOLLY BLOOM: Shelley, thank you so much for talking with us. This was so fun.
VIOLET: Thanks, Shelley.
SHELLEY RODEN: Thank you so much for having me here. I had a lot of fun with you today.
MOLLY BLOOM: We have even more cool Foley sound effects and stories to share with you on our website. Head to brainson.org to see pictures of her tools and hear more.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
OK, Violet, we have two more mystery sounds before we wrap up the episode. Are you ready?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here is the next one.
[BEEPING, GRINDING]
What do you think?
VIOLET: Why do I feel like it's a garbage disposal? But a really heavy duty one because it was like that made a really loud screech for five seconds. I feel like somebody did it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, it was really loud. And did you notice the beeping before the loud sound?
VIOLET: I noticed the beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
MOLLY BLOOM: So what do you think could make the beep sounds?
VIOLET: I feel like it could be an oven in the background. Because I know my oven makes that sound, the beep.
MOLLY BLOOM: I'm going to give you a hint that this is on somebody's door. Here's the sound.
[BEEPING, WHIRRING]
VIOLET: I think I know what it is.
MOLLY BLOOM: What?
VIOLET: I think it's like one of those things that has the keypad and they're typing it in. And then it just made this alarm.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready for the answer?
VIOLET: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
ZOE: Hi, I'm Zoe and I live in Arizona. That was me unlocking my keypad lock to my house.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh! You were half right.
VIOLET: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: There was definitely a keypad. And that loud noise was actually the lock unlocking.
VIOLET: That is weird, in my opinion.
MOLLY BLOOM: I mean, it's cool because if you go to-- if you go home and you don't have your keys, no problem. I can still get in the house.
VIOLET: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Just need to remember a code. We have one final mystery sound. Here it is.
[WHOOSHING, RUMBLING]
What do you think?
VIOLET: I think you're like-- I think somebody is at a really high altitude. And then there's a really fast jet coming by.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, very nice. Let's hear it again. See if you feel the same.
[WHOOSHING, RUMBLING]
Do you have new thoughts? You want to stick with your jet answer?
VIOLET: I think I'm going to stick with that because I've been in pretty high altitude. I went to the mountains in Denver, Colorado once. And I've recorded up there and it sounds that way. The background noise sounds the same.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here is the answer.
LILA: My name is Lila.
LACEY: And my name is Lacey. I'm from Phuket, Thailand.
LILA: The sound that you just heard was the airplane taking off.
MOLLY BLOOM: So it's an airplane taking off. Nice work. Yeah, I hear that sound a lot because we live under a flight path. So when I sit in my backyard, it's all airplanes all day.
[LAUGHS]
VIOLET: It's funny.
MOLLY BLOOM: You did such an amazing job interviewing our guest, guessing all these mystery sounds. It's not easy and you did an amazing job.
VIOLET: Thanks.
MOLLY BLOOM: If you have a mystery sound you'd like to share with us, you can send them to us at brainson.org/contact. Remember to tell us what the sound is at the end so Bob can file it correctly.
VIOLET: That's it for this episode of Brains On.
MOLLY BLOOM: This episode was written by me, Molly Bloom. Our editors are--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
MOLLY BLOOM: We had engineering help from Tim Berry and Josh Savageau with sound design and original music by--
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
VIOLET: We had production help from the rest of the Brains On universe team.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie DuPont.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
VIOLET: And--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: Beth Perlman is our executive producer and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Ramez Elgammal, Katie Elgammal, and Eric Ringham.
VIOLET: Brains On is a nonprofit public radio program.
MOLLY BLOOM: Join Smarty Pass for bonus episodes and ad-free versions of all four shows in the Brains On universe. Become a Smarty Pass subscriber today for just $5 a month or $45 a year. Head to brainson.org to learn more about Smarty Pass.
Now it's time for the Brains Honor Roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives.
[LISTING HONOR ROLL]
MAN 2: (SINGING) Brains On
Bye bye
MOLLY BLOOM: We'll be back next week with an episode all about paper.
VIOLET: Thanks for listening.
Transcription services provided by 3Play Media.
