Listen and Learn

I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.

Larry King

Classic FM’s article “The loudest recorded sound in history literally sent shockwaves around the world” gives a bit of history about the violent volcanic eruption that happened in 1883 on the Indonesian island of Krakatoa. It “produced what scientists believe to be the loudest sound produced on the surface of the planet, estimated at 310 decibels (dB).” Is that loud? “For some extra context here, thunder can reach 120dB, a shotgun can reach 140 dB, and 150 to 160dB is usually considered painfully loud enough to rupture your ear drums.” That last part backs up the report by Captain Sampson of the British ship Norham Castle that was 40 miles from Krakatoa at the time of the eruption where the eruptions were so violent “that the ear-drums of over half my crew have been shattered.”

About the author

Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American author, radio and television host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys, an Emmy and 10 Cable ACE Awards. During his career, King conducted over 60,000 interviews on radio and TV.