What's The Loudest Sound That Could Exist? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 1, 2026 · 4 MIN

What's The Loudest Sound That Could Exist?

from Be Smart. · host Joe Hanson

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate It's definitely higher than "11" Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ What is the loudest possible sound? What about the quietest thing we can hear? And what do decibels measure, anyway? In this video you'll learn what makes sound The loudest sound on Earth (the we know of anyway), great story by Aatish Bhatia: http://nautil.us/blog/the-sound-so-loud-that-it-circled-the-earth-four-times Video of the Papua New Guinea volcano eruption from YouTuber bacobjee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs Calculation of the shock wave from teleportation: http://www.quora.com/Teleportation/If-you-were-to-disappear-suddenly-how-loud-would-be-the-noise-of-the-air-filling-up-the-vacuum-youve-left The sometimes-painful effects of different sound pressure levels: http://www.makeitlouder.com/Decibel%20Level%20Chart.txt How loud are rocket launches? http://testtube.com/dnews/how-loud-are-space-shuttle-launches/ NASA's sound suppression water system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LehY5avJUM Can a sound be loud enough to kill you? http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2298/can-a-noise-be-loud-enough-to-kill-you ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D Follow me on Twitter/Instagram: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Jen Piper/Arts+Labor - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks French subtitles by Alessandro Dal Cero​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate It's definitely higher than "11" Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below ↓ What is the loudest possible sound? What about the quietest thing we can hear? And what do decibels measure, anyway? In this video you'll learn what makes sound The loudest sound on Earth (the we know of anyway), great story by Aatish Bhatia: http://nautil.us/blog/the-sound-so-loud-that-it-circled-the-earth-four-times Video of the Papua New Guinea volcano eruption from YouTuber bacobjee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUREX8aFbMs Calculation of the shock wave from teleportation: http://www.quora.com/Teleportation/If-you-were-to-disappear-suddenly-how-loud-would-be-the-noise-of-the-air-filling-up-the-vacuum-youve-left The sometimes-painful effects of different sound pressure levels: http://www.makeitlouder.com/Decibel%20Level%20Chart.txt How loud are rocket launches? http://testtube.com/dnews/how-loud-are-space-shuttle-launches/ NASA's sound suppression water system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LehY5avJUM Can a sound be loud enough to kill you? http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2298/can-a-noise-be-loud-enough-to-kill-you ----------------- It's Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D Follow me on Twitter/Instagram: @DrJoeHanson @okaytobesmart Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer Jen Piper/Arts+Labor - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Director of Photography John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: "Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks French subtitles by Alessandro Dal Cero​ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOW PLAYING

What's The Loudest Sound That Could Exist?

0:00 4:52

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Eat to Live Jenna Fuhrman, Dr. Fuhrman Our health is our most precious gift and smart nutrition can change your life. Each month, join Dr. Fuhrman and his daughter, Jenna Fuhrman as they discuss important topics in the world of nutrition. Eat to Live will change the way you eat and think about food. The Small Business Startup School – Business Notes | Financial Literacy | Retail Psychology – For Professionals & Entrepreneurs The Small Business Startup School Inc. Starting or buying a small business? While personal circumstances may vary, business patterns remain timeless. On The Small Business Startup School, we explore strategies, insights, and practical solutions to help entrepreneurs confidently navigate their journey.Hosted by Ola Williams—a retail entrepreneur, fintech founder, and financial coach with over two decades of experience—this podcast marries financial awareness and retail psychology with optimism to deliver actionable takeaways.Join us to learn, grow, and connect as we uncover the keys to business success.Let’s continue to learn together and be encouraged to keep on connecting! LIGHTS, CAMERA, SMILE! Creatives Club Media Lights, Camera, Smile, is a podcast for anyone with a dream to share something with the world, out of the overflow of themselves - be it their mind, their heart, their personalities, and much more. Each of us are alive in this moment in time, with an innate ability to have ideas and create various things to benefit both ourselves and the people around us for a reason, and here, you will find the encouragement, the inspiration, and the motivation to do just that. Hosted by Cicily, founder of Creatives Club, she dives into various topics surrounding creativity and business. Exploring entrepreneurship for creatives in a corporate reality, sharing tips and tricks in a media centered company, answering questions regarding what a creative actually is are just a few of the things discussed on this podcast. Be encouraged to create for yourself as Cicily gets vulnerable by pivoting the camera to herself for the first time.To submit questions for Cicily to answer, or have her address certain t She’s a Hazard to Herself She’s a Hazard Hi there, I’m Mallory, and I’d like to invite you into our world with “She’s a Hazard to Herself!” Join us as we navigate life with Multiple Sclerosis from the seat of my power wheelchair. Discover stories of resilience, family, and the community we’ve built around chronic illness. Whether you’re impacted by MS or want to learn from our journey, there’s something here for you. So why wait? Subscribe to “She’s a Hazard to Herself” on your favorite podcast app and be part of our journey today. Let’s lift each other up, one episode at a time!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Be Smart.?

This episode is 4 minutes long.

When was this Be Smart. episode published?

This episode was published on July 1, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate It's definitely higher than "11" Subscribe: http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub Twitter: @okaytobesmart ↓ More info and sources below...

Can I download this Be Smart. episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!