Welcome to The Sonic Commons, a new series that explores the ways noise shapes our health -- and how we can create soundscapes that allow us to thrive.

YouTube video by Peter Anthony Holder

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

An eye- (and ear-) opening investigation into how the cacophony of our ever-noisier world affects our health, our well-being, and our planet. Early-morning jackhammering from construction down the ...

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

Rural school closures are a growing trend, and Vermont, like many states, has recently proposed merging school districts to cope with falling enrollment.

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

Bibliophile Andrew Robinson reveals 10 essential science reads from the past year.

YouTube video by Panpathic Communications

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

New releases that inspire us.

Sound as a deadly force has long captivated us. But have we overlooked its true dangers?

Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.

A May 2025 Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Book <br /><br /> An eye- (and ear-) opening investigation into how our ever-noisier world affects our health, our well-being, and our planet., Clamor, How No...

Noise pollution is wreaking havoc on the world’s population as well as threatening marine life and wildlife above ground.  A new book explains why.

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

CLAMOR: How Noise Took Over the World and How We Can Take It Back. Chris Berdik. 272 pp. W. W. Norton & Co., 2025. $29.99.

Unseen animals can often still be heard. That’s part of the impetus behind the growing field of ecoacoustics, which aims to measure entire soundscapes in different habitats as a way of gauging an…

Renata Adler’s 1972 review of the program that revolutionized children’s television.

Massachusetts' four regional food banks have faced millions of dollars in federal cuts to food supplies and grant programs this year. At the same time, the federal government recently implemented more...

1,316 likes, 9 comments - scientific_american on July 3, 2025: "Scientific American reads— a lot. These are four of our recommendations from June, from slithering snakes to a river’s impact. We’ll be ...

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

A dark money group paid $80,000 to Noem’s personal company when she was governor of South Dakota. She did not include this income on her federal disclosure forms, a likely violation of ethics requirem...

Here's a collection of exclusive book recommendations, from slithering snakes to a river's impact, for your summer reading lists, curated by Scientific American

In an era of vanishing conversation, the experience of dining out is being diminished.

Podcast Episode · Urbanistica Podcast - Cities for People · 06/24/2025 · 52m

A presentation slated to be shared at this week’s meeting of vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claimed that a study in animals suggested that use of the vaccine pre...

Plus some acoustic odds and ends for your enjoyment

YouTube video by Peter Anthony Holder

You’re helping nature — but nature also has ways to help you, make you more resilient, and relieve the stress caused by environmental destruction.

Chris Berdik on health and wellbeing, how our brains process sound and creating positive urban soundscapes.

A document circulated to members of Congress misinterprets studies and cites debunked research, scientists say. It could influence congressional perceptions of vaccine safety.