Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the Radiolab podcast: How we got our voices and the power they hold over us.
Over the course of millions of years, human voices have evolved to hold startling power. These clouds of vibrating air carry crucial information about who we are—and we rely on them to push ourselves up and out into the physical world.
This week, we’re on a journey to understand how we got our unique sonic fingerprint, the power it affords us, and what happens when it’s taken away.
Special thanks to Alice Wong, Wren Farrell, Hector Espinal and his parents, Crisaly and Hector Espinal, Mary Croke, Nancy Kielty, Beth McEwen, Robin Feuer Miller, Roomful of Teeth, Amanda Crider, Caroline Shaw, Judd Greenstein, Leilihua Lanzilotti, Rebekka Karijord and Michael Harrison.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Annie McEwen and Matt Kielty
Produced by Annie McEwen and Matt Kielty
Original music and sound design contributed by Jeremy Bloom and Matt Kielty
with mixing help from Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by Anna Pujol-Mazzini
and Edited by Alex Neason
Books -
Disability Intimacy by Alice Wong
Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong
This is the Voice by John Colapinto
Websites -
DisabilityVisibilityProject.com
Audio/Artists -
Roomful of Teeth (roomfulofteeth.org/)
Partita for 8 Voices written by Caroline Shaw
AEIOU composed by Judd Greenstein
On Stochastic Wave behavior by Leilehua Lanzilotti
Fugue by Rebekka Karijord, taken from the record “The Bell Tower", featuring Roomful of Teeth.
Just Constellations, composed by Michael Harrison
Episode Segments:
0:00 - 13:13 - Intro
13:13 - 25:52 - Chapter 2
25:52 - 1:06:52 - Chapter 3
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
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Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Jared Bartman
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
From the Radiolab podcast: How we got our voices and the power they hold over us.
Over the course of millions of years, human voices have evolved to hold startling power. These clouds of vibrating air carry crucial information about who we are—and we rely on them to push ourselves up and out into the physical world.
This week, we’re on a journey to understand how we got our unique sonic fingerprint, the power it affords us, and what happens when it’s taken away.
Special thanks to Alice Wong, Wren Farrell, Hector Espinal and his parents, Crisaly and Hector Espinal, Mary Croke, Nancy Kielty, Beth McEwen, Robin Feuer Miller, Roomful of Teeth, Amanda Crider, Caroline Shaw, Judd Greenstein, Leilihua Lanzilotti, Rebekka Karijord and Michael Harrison.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Annie McEwen and Matt Kielty
Produced by Annie McEwen and Matt Kielty
Original music and sound design contributed by Jeremy Bloom and Matt Kielty
with mixing help from Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by Anna Pujol-Mazzini
and Edited by Alex Neason
Books -
Disability Intimacy by Alice Wong
Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong
This is the Voice by John Colapinto
Websites -
DisabilityVisibilityProject.com
Audio/Artists -
Roomful of Teeth (roomfulofteeth.org/)
Partita for 8 Voices written by Caroline Shaw
AEIOU composed by Judd Greenstein
On Stochastic Wave behavior by Leilehua Lanzilotti
Fugue by Rebekka Karijord, taken from the record “The Bell Tower", featuring Roomful of Teeth.
Just Constellations, composed by Michael Harrison
Episode Segments:
0:00 - 13:13 - Intro
13:13 - 25:52 - Chapter 2
25:52 - 1:06:52 - Chapter 3
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Jared Bartman
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
