The sound of a Star Wars lightsabre

Sound designer Ben Burtt created the iconic whooshing sound of lightsabres almost accidentally. The sound made when lightsabres make impact resulted from TV feedback on a shieldless microphone — which Burtt discovered by accident while looking for something to add to the projector hum. Thus, it is the combined sound of a film projector and noise from an old TV.

Moon trees are a thing

Moon trees were sprouted from tree seeds that were flown to the moon, then planted in the Earth. 500 seeds were taken from five different seed types to orbit around the moon. They were later planted around the US and a few other countries.

The language of the Minions

The directors of the film Despicable Me wrote their own language for the Minions.

It may sound like total gibberish, but the famed (or infamous) Minions of the Despicable Me franchise speak an actual language. The directors combined Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Filipino (Tagalog), French and Russian to create Minionese.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 9th, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Writing on the wall
27 Jul, 2026

Writing on the wall

EVERY few months, another set of figures reminds Pakistan of a painful reality. Sahil’s latest Six Months Cruel...
Still unprepared
27 Jul, 2026

Still unprepared

EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for ...
Delayed devolution
27 Jul, 2026

Delayed devolution

THE debate over Islamabad’s reluctance to fully let go of devolved subjects has been running since 2010. But it ...
Quid pro quo
Updated 26 Jul, 2026

Quid pro quo

Accepting Israel would mean legitimising its violence against the Palestinians, as well as its neighbouring Arab states and Iran.
AI in government
26 Jul, 2026

AI in government

THE Prime Minister’s Office has announced the introduction of an AI-powered digital system and directed ministries...
Cautious optimism
26 Jul, 2026

Cautious optimism

THE latest polio surveillance figures offer some encouraging news regarding the difficult fight against polio. The...