The Sonic Aesthetics of Science Communication Podcasts

Caroline Koons Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University ; Amelia Chesley Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

Abstract

The sonic aesthetics of technical communication have been underconsidered compared to their visual and textual counterparts. We highlight the aesthetic overlaps and contrasts between human-produced audio technical communication and Generative AI audio that mimics the aesthetic patterns of successful science communication podcasts, specifically Radiolab , while exploring the sonic dimensions of ethos, relatability, trust, and narrative. Applying close listening analysis, we explore two particular sonic aesthetic features: prosodic variation and shared conversational syntax. We argue prosodic range and shared syntax contribute to the aesthetics of either overarching agreeableness/certainty or confrontation/uncertainty, which in turn constitutes an orientation to scientific knowledge.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2026-06-22
DOI
10.1177/00472816261462500
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
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