Jenny Rowan explores the life of Noor Inayat Khan, a secret agent during the Second World War who became the first female wireless operator to be sent from the UK into Nazi-occupied France.
Did you know that astronauts on Apollo missions were issued with tape recorders and could listen to music in space? Jenny Rowan explores the technology (and the crew’s musical choices).
Moving holograms, like those seen in Star Wars: A New Hope, are finally a reality—and, amazingly, they are made using ultrasound. Cara Homes looks at how the technology works.
This year’s Widescreen Weekend includes a tribute to Ennio Morricone. Iva Dobreva looks back on the legendary composer’s life, work and contribution to the use of sound in cinema.
How did we get from the era of silent films to the stereo surround sound of today’s cinemas? Ewan Grainger takes a whistle-stop tour of the history of sound in film.
30 August 2021 would have been the 82nd birthday of DJ John Peel. Jenny Rowan takes a look at his influential career as a DJ and his continuing legacy in the world of radio.
Our ability to communicate through language is unique to our species—but for certain species of animal, sound is used for other purposes, such as navigation and even hunting.
Nicknamed the ‘Father of Loud’, Jim Marshall was a pioneer of the rock ’n’ roll scene in Britain and beyond. To mark the anniversary of his birthday, Harriet Terrington writes about his life and groundbreaking inventions.
As the 55-year anniversary of England’s only World Cup victory approaches, Jenny Rowan considers how TV and radio companies prepared for the task of broadcasting the event.
Iva Dobreva takes a look at some examples of the ‘spirit photographs’ taken by William Hope in the early 20th century, and explores what they can tell us about the practice and meaning of spiritualism.
As we prepare to reopen our cinemas to the public, volunteer blogger James examines the iconic work of the late film editor Sally Menke.
It’s the 57th anniversary of the launch of BBC Two. Antonia Lenon recaps the story of how the channel was introduced to TV audiences.