Podcast: What soil sounds like and why it matters

Keystone / Scott Anderson

• MP3 file
• Description

Discussion about urban biodiversity as well as life within the soil.

What does soil sound like, and what do those sounds mean?

In this episode of The Swiss Connection podcast, host Susan Misicka meets Marcus Maeder, the world’s first scientist to use acoustics to research the soil and underground biodiversity. Maeder is a PhD student in environmental sciences at Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich. He’s also a researcher at the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology at the Zurich University of the Arts. The name of his project is Sounding SoilExternal link.

Marcus Maeder shows the way into the Sounding Soil booth, displayed outside Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern in 2018. swissinfo.ch

Also in this episode, we explore some of Zurich’s greenspaces with Joan Casanelles Abella, a Spanish PhD student who’s researching biodiversity and conservation biology in Zurich. According to Abella, Switzerland’s finance capital tends to be a lot greener than other European cities – such as Barcelona, which he says has a shortage of green areas. In Zurich, the high standard of living means there’s money for public parks and private gardens.

Joan Casanelles Abella shows off a Zurich insect hotel. swissinfo.ch

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You can also explore our previous episodes here: