Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids

Episode: Mystery Sounds from the Natural World
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Molly Bloom
Co-Host: Rahema (Dallas, TX)
Guest: Thomas Rex Beverly (Adventure Field Recordist)

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Brains On! is a “Mystery Sound Extravaganza” focused entirely on intriguing and mysterious sounds from the natural world. Listeners are invited to test their ears alongside host Molly Bloom, kid co-host Rahema, and adventure field recordist Thomas Rex Beverly. Together, they guess and reveal the source of unique recordings from across the globe, learn field recording tricks, and discover the stories behind the wildest sounds in nature.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Mystery Sounds

[00:17 – 02:56]

• Molly Bloom sets up the “mystery sound” format and introduces co-host Rahema, who previously met the Brains On! crew at a live Dallas show.
• Rahema shares her favorite part of the live show (scientists falling from the ceiling!) and gushes about meeting the podcast hosts.

Notable Quote:
“My favorite part of the entire experience was definitely being able to meet you and Mark and Sandon, which… that was a lot of fun, honestly.”
— Rahema, [03:11]

2. Meet the Field Recordist: Thomas Rex Beverly

[04:14 – 05:05]

• Tom describes his job and adventures, likening field recording to nature photography, but with microphones for sounds of everything from animals to thunderstorms and glaciers.

Notable Quote:
“So I record nature sounds. It's kind of like being a nature photographer... but I go out with microphones, and I record their sounds.”
— Tom, [04:41]

3. First Mystery Sound: The Not-So-Texan Deer

Sound Begins: [06:09]

• Tom's clip from Texas puzzles both hosts, who suspect a bird due to the “bugling” noise.
• Reveal: It’s a sika deer (native to Asia) making strange, bird-like sounds, now found in Texas after escape from ranches.

Notable Quote:
“It is actually a deer called a sika deer. So they make these bird-like, bugling sorts of sounds.”
— Tom, [06:40]

4. Listener Mystery Sound: Yellowstone Geyser

Sound Begins: [07:49]

• Rahema and Tom both suspect something watery or a boat motor.
• Reveal: Listener Dylan from Idaho shares it’s a “spasmodic geyser near Old Faithful” in Yellowstone.

Notable Quote:
“The sound you just heard is a spasmodic geyser near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.”
— Dylan (listener), [10:04]

5. Glacier Cracking in the Arctic

Sound Begins: [11:13]

• Recording was made in Iceland, under a glacier lake.
• Both Molly and Rahema guess a glacier—Rahema nails it!

Notable Quotes:
“So it is a glacier. You nailed it with that.”
— Tom, [11:50]

“If you're above the ice, you don't actually hear much at all. But then if you put the hydrophones under the ice, you hear all of this fabulous ice sound.”
— Tom, [11:54]

6. Recording in the Wild: Tips & Animal Curiosity

[12:44 – 13:48]

• Tom shares essentials for fieldwork (duct tape!) and amusing animal encounters, including a grizzly bear trying to eat his microphone.

Notable Quote:
“I had a grizzly bear in Alaska come up and try to eat one of my microphones for a while.”
— Tom, [13:07]

7. Favorite Local Sounds

[15:32 – 16:10]

• Rahema describes peaceful days at a Japanese garden with bird songs, water, and music.
• Tom recalls West Texas storms and hail pounding on a tin roof, giving tips on listening to thunder and nature’s symphony.

8. California Redwood Falls & Raven Rumbles

Sound Begins: [17:06]

• Recording from California, only found in CA and Oregon.
• The hosts mistakenly guess frogs, storms, or alarms.
• Reveal: The thunderous sound is a giant redwood tree falling; the croak is a raven!

Notable Quotes:
“That was the sound of a gigantic redwood tree falling in the distance and going, boom.”
— Tom, [19:09]

“So that's a tree that's, like, about at least as tall as... a football field... They're pretty gigantic trees that have been growing for over a thousand years sometimes.”
— Tom, [19:33]

9. How to Tune into Nature’s Soundscape

[20:05 – 21:21]

• Tom shares a practical listening exercise: focus on sounds from right inside your body, then expand your hearing outward—steps away, meters, hundreds of meters, to distant miles.

Notable Quote:
“Trying to focus on those different levels because you can actually hear very far away. It can be kind of fun to do that because a lot of people don't even notice the sounds that are going on around.”
— Tom, [21:03]

10. Epic Humpback Whale Party in Hawaii

Sound Begins: [23:44]

• Tom’s mysterious “noisy” recording from Hawaii.
• Rahema accurately guesses whale sounds, and Tom reveals it was a whole pod of humpbacks singing and socializing—possibly even “saying their names.”

Notable Quotes:
“That's probably anywhere from 20 to 50 whales in this one bay. And they all just hang out and sing to each other and make lots of fun sounds.”
— Tom, [24:44]

“They make one sound that's especially fun. It's kind of like, 'Hello, my name is Tom.' And whale, they go...whoop!”
— Tom, [25:12]

11. A Final Listener Mystery: Crunching Ice

Sound Begins: [26:17]

• Both Tom and Rahema venture wood or pine cones, but listener Vera shares it was the sound of cracking ice on a path.

Notable Quote:
“My mystery sound is me cracking ice on a pathway.”
— Vera (listener), [27:18]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Rahema on sound-guessing skills:
  “I like to consider myself really good at guessing the mystery sound, but I only really get it right, like, 60% of the time.” [03:44]
• Tom on animal curiosity:
  “A grizzly bear in Alaska come up and try to eat one of my microphones for a while... sniffing and licking it...for about 30 minutes.” [13:07]
• Molly on relaxation:
  “Sometimes all you have to do is sit quietly for a minute and there they are.” [27:51]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:11] – Rahema’s favorite show memory
• [04:41] – Tom explains field recording
• [06:09] – Mystery sound: Sika deer
• [10:04] – Listener reveals geyser sound
• [11:13] – Mystery sound: Glacier cracking
• [13:07] – Grizzly bear vs. microphone story
• [17:06] – Mystery sound: Redwood tree & raven
• [20:12] – Tom’s levels-of-listening exercise
• [23:44] – Mystery sound: Whales in Hawaii
• [27:18] – Listener sound: Cracking ice

Overall Tone & Takeaways

This episode is playful, curious, and full of wonder at the hidden stories in nature’s soundscape. The hosts and guest encourage listeners to stretch their ears, question assumptions, and appreciate even the subtlest background noises. There’s humor, awe, and lots of encouragement for young scientists to keep observing and asking questions.

“Mystery sounds are truly everywhere. Sometimes all you have to do is sit quietly for a minute and there they are.”
— Molly Bloom, [27:51]

Further Resources

• Learn more about Thomas Rex Beverly’s field recordings: ThomasRexBeverly.com
• Send your own mystery sounds and questions to Brains On!
• Stay tuned after the episode for Tom’s full humpback whale recording.