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If the creation of the universe was translated into music, what would it sound like?

NPR | By Manoush Zomorodi,
Katie Monteleone, Sanaz Meshkinpour
Published September 18, 2026 at 7:45 AM CDT

Part 1 of the TED Radio Hour episode Big mysteries explained through your senses

What did the early universe sound like? Astronomer Mark Whittle partnered with musicians to translate the sounds of the expanding universe into music audible to human ears.

About Mark Whittle

Mark Whittle is a cosmologist and a professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia, where he studies active galaxies and the primordial sounds of the universe. He collaborates with sound artists and musicians to translate those sounds into music and audio that the human ear can perceive.

Web Resources

Related TED Talk: A sonic journey through the universe

Related TED Talk: How to take a picture of a black hole

Copyright 2026 NPR
Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour.
Katie Monteleone
Sanaz Meshkinpour
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