In 1919 a brilliant Russian scientist accidentally stumbled onto the first electronic musical instrument in history – the theremin – which you play not by strings, keys, or even percussion, but by moving your hand in the air around it. Prepare to science!
AI Summary
In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating story of the theremin, the world's first electronic musical instrument that produces eerie, otherworldly sounds without any physical contact. They explore how Russian inventor Leon Theremin accidentally created this electromagnetic instrument while working on a gas density detector, and how it became both a musical sensation and a tool for espionage. The hosts cover Theremin's wild life journey from Soviet spy to New York socialite, his scandalous marriage, and his eventual disappearance back to Russia where he ended up in a secret prison camp for scientists.
Edward Scissorhands
1990
1h 45m
★ 7.7
"it does show up elsewhere in movies like Edward and Mars Attacks — Chuck mentions it as a Tim Burton movie that features the theremin in its soundtrack."
— Chuck
First Man
2018
2h 21m
★ 7.0
"Um, it was also in First Man, which I have still not seen — Chuck mentions the theremin is used in a scene where Neil Armstrong throws his dead daughter's bracelet into a moon crater."
— Chuck
"Hellboy. Um, it was also in First Man — Chuck lists it as another movie that features the theremin in its soundtrack."
— Chuck
"stars of the cult classic show Hey Dude — This appears in an advertisement for another podcast discussing 90s nostalgia."
Mars Attacks!
1996
1h 46m
★ 6.4
"it does show up elsewhere in movies like Edward and Mars Attacks — Chuck mentions it as a Tim Burton movie that features the theremin in its soundtrack."
— Chuck
Poltergeist
1982
1h 54m
★ 7.2
"Do you remember AOL instant messenger and the dial up sound like poltergeist? — Referenced in an advertisement comparing dial-up internet sounds to the movie Poltergeist."
Spellbound
1945
1h 51m
★ 7.4
"the Alfred Hitchcock spellbound, most notably maybe, um, the lost weekend — Chuck mentions it as one of the early films to use the theremin in movie soundtracks during the 1940s and 50s."
— Chuck
"It's also not a Theraman you're hearing in the Star Trek theme — Chuck corrects a common misconception that the theremin is used in the Star Trek theme song."
— Chuck
The Lost Weekend
1945
1h 41m
★ 7.6
"the Alfred Hitchcock spellbound, most notably maybe, um, the lost weekend — Chuck mentions it as one of the early films to use the theremin in movie soundtracks."
— Chuck
"I think Nelson Muntz has a, he uses an extension cord for a belt — Josh references Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons when discussing a character who uses an extension cord as a belt."
— Josh
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