Forest 404

Forest 404 is a science fiction podcast written by composer Timothy X Atack, produced by BBC Radio 4 and hosted by Pearl Mackie.[1]

Forest 404
Presentation
StarringPearl Mackie
GenreScience fiction podcast
LanguageEnglish
Production
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes27
Publication
Original releaseMarch 5 –
April 1, 2019
ProviderBBC Radio 4
Related
Websitewww.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06tqsg3

Background

The University of Bristol, the University of Exeter, and the Open University partnered with BBC Radio 4 to produce the podcast.[2] Every episode in the nine-part series is accompanied by a soundscape and a discussion on the themes.[3] The story follows an audio archivist named Pan who is tasked with deleting recordings that were made before a cataclysmic event.[4] Pan is living in the 24th century.[5] Timothy X Atack credited works by Ursula K. LeGuin, and his own experiences in the BBC's archive of natural history sounds, as influences in the creation of Forest 404.[6]

The show stars Pearl Mackie as Pan, Tanya Moodie as her boss Daria, and Pippa Haywood as Theia.[7]

Reception

The Guardian called Forest 404 "darkly funny but also infuriating", and "a drama that niggles as much as it intrigues."[3] Sam Fritz at the Mississippi Valley Conservancy recommended the podcast, noting that "The diverse topics around each episode ground the fiction within an application of our own world, helping listeners analyze each episode and picture themselves in the world."[8] "Forest 404 helps us experience life after an entire denuding and automation of our world," according to Heather Sparks in CLOT magazine.[6]

Academic outcomes

Forest 404 also featured an embedded academic study, led by Alex Smalley at the University of Exeter.[9][10] Designed to deepen understanding into people's responses to the sounds of nature, the study marked one of the largest natural soundscape experiments ever conducted, with 7,596 people taking part.[11]

Findings from this research were published in the peer-reviewed journal Global Environmental Change in May 2022.[12] Outcomes demonstrated that soundscapes featuring the sounds of wildlife, such as bird song, were considered more psychologically restorative than those without. Participants who had memories triggered by these sounds were also more likely to find them psychologically restorative, and exhibited a greater motivation to preserve them – an outcome with implications for conservation efforts.[12]

See also

References
  1. Hemming, Sarah (7 April 2020). "The New Wave of Radio Drama Bringing Plays to Your Home". Financial Times. Nikkei, Inc. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  2. "Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2020 – Winners". RadioToday. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. O’Hagan, Sean (14 April 2019). "The Week in Radio: Forest 404; the Reunion; Archive on 4 – Review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. Smith, Carl (25 December 2019). "The Best Podcasts to Dive Into This Summer". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  5. Kopotsha, Jazmin. "'Forest 404' Is Your New Favourite Dystopian Thriller – In Podcast Form". refinery29.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  6. Sparks, Heather (18 May 2019). "Insight: BBC's Forest 404". CLOT Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  7. Fullerton, Huw (2 April 2019). "Doctor Who's Pearl Mackie to Star in New Sci-Fi Podcast Drama". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  8. Fritz, Sam (1 December 2021). "Forest 404 Podcast: Advanced Views and Diverse Perspectives". Mississippi Valley Conservancy. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  9. "Forest 404". Virtual Nature. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  10. "Virtual Nature > Wellcome". wcceh.org. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. "7,000 participants". Virtual Nature. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  12. Smalley, Alexander J.; White, Mathew P.; Ripley, Rebecca; Atack, Timothy X; Lomas, Eliza; Sharples, Mike; Coates, Peter A.; Groom, Nick; Grand, Ann; Heneberry, Ailish; Fleming, Lora E. (1 May 2022). "Forest 404: Using a BBC drama series to explore the impact of nature's changing soundscapes on human wellbeing and behavior". Global Environmental Change. 74: 102497. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102497. ISSN 0959-3780. PMC 9664366. PMID 36406626.
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