sound of the universe

Ever seen the film "Powers of Ten"? It was made by Charles and Ray Eames in 1977, and it starts with a close-up of a couple and moves farther and farther away every ten seconds until the perspective reaches the edge of the universe, 40 powers of ten from where it began. Monday is Power of Ten Day, a holiday that's clearly a construct of the greeting card industry. But I decided to celebrate anyway, by producing this piece for Weekend America.

It may not be very precise, but it will blow your mind.

The piece is built around a conversation I recorded with Ellen Horne (friend and co-producer of Radio Lab). If it gets too confusing, here's a handy diagram that will clear everything up, courtesy of my editor Amanda Aronczyk: