If I Yodeled in the Alps Would It Start an Avalanche? Science Fiction

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Hi! Welcome to Science Fiction -

where you ask questions about science.

And we deliver the cold, hard facts.

BUD E, what's on the menu today, please?

Sorry, love. I keep freezing, and so I do.

Today's question comes from

Rory in Gorey.

"If I yodeled in the Alps,

"would it start an avalanche?"

That's a good one. I better warm up the vocal chords.

# La, la, la, la. #

GLASS SMASHES

An avalanche is a sudden, fast movement of snow down a slope.

Sort of like a giant snowman on a sled. Weeee!

They're caused naturally by rock falls, lightning...

Or by man-made triggers such as me acting the fool.

What's yodeling got to do with avalanches?

Yodeling was developed by mountaineers

to communicate in the Alps

over large distances.

# Yodel-lay hee-hoo

# Yodel-lay hee-hoouagh! #

-What about the avalanches they'll cause?

-That's the whole point!

While a yodel could in theory trigger an avalanche,

the volume generated would not be loud enough.

Testing, testing, one, two, three.

AVALANCHE APPROACHES

You're probably safe enough to try yodeling

without causing an avalanche.

Sure that's just a load of old science # Fi-i-ction! #

Yodel, wasn't he the small, little fellah in Star Wars, wasn't he?

Very wise. Great film.