How this composer integrated neuroscience into her music
When composer Sarah Hennies learned about a neurological theory called "motor tapes" from Oliver Sacks' book Musicophilia, the concept stuck with her for years. The theory comes from neuroscientist Rodolfo Llinás, who posited that many of our thoughts, memories, and physical movements operate via a series of "looping tapes," with the goal of reducing the amount of energy the brain uses while doing common, repetitive tasks. The concept resonated with Hennies, who is also a visiting assistant professor of music at Bard College. Most of her compositions use heavy amounts of repetition, and Llinás' theory fit with how she experienced her own memories and the evolution of her identity. Her piece "Motor Tapes" premiered in early August, performed by Ensemble Dedalus. Hennies joins guest host and musician Dessa to talk about repetition in music, how to translate neuroscience into art, and what that pairing can reveal about our bodies and the world around us. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com.
How this composer integrated neuroscience into her music
How video game devs and musicians are processing climate change
It's Climate Week in New York City this week, which brings together hundreds of events, all aimed at encouraging conversation and participation and action around our climate crisis. So this week, we wanted to play two stories of artists grappling with and integrating climate change into their work. The first is about a gaming competition called the Climate Jam, where teams compete to build video games about climate change in just one week. Universe of Art host D. Peterschmidt talked with Indiecade organizers and the winning team about their game, and how they're working to overcome climate apathy. The second is an interview with folk musician and independent scholar Daniel Bachman. His latest album, Almanac Behind, is a meditative instrumental reflection on the extreme weather events in Bachman's home state of Virginia—using actual field recordings of those events. He also talks about his work as an independent scholar, and how the traditions of Appalachian folklore influenced his view of the album as a climatological historical document. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com. Read this episode's transcript here.
How video game devs and musicians are processing climate change
How scientifically accurate are the sharks in "Meg 2: The Trench"?
"Meg 2: The Trench" is the sequel to the 2018 movie "The Meg," in which a team of ocean scientists discover a megalodon, the largest shark that ever lived, thriving at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Megalodon went extinct over 2.6 million years ago ... or so the movie's characters thought. When the team's research sub gets damaged, a skilled rescue diver, played by Jason Statham, is brought in, who happened to have encountered the same megalodon years earlier. Over the course of the movie, the team discovers how this long-thought extinct apex predator survived, and what they can do to stop it before it wreaks havoc on the surface world. "Meg 2: The Trench" largely follows in that movie's footsteps, but this time, it features not just one, but multiple megalodons. Oh, and they're even bigger this time. Universe of Art host D. Peterschmidt chats with Dr. Sora Kim, an associate professor of paleoecology at University of California, Merced, about what science the movie got wrong (and right) and how these over-the-top blockbusters can inspire the scientists of the future. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com.
How scientifically accurate are the sharks in "Meg 2: The Trench"?
Pregnancy goes high-tech in "The Pod Generation"
In the new movie The Pod Generation, a wife named Rachel, played by Emilia Clarke, and her husband Alvy, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, want to start a family. In the movie's near future, you don't have to have a baby by getting pregnant, or using IVF, or going through a surrogate. If you're lucky, you can get a reservation at The Womb Center, where you can grow your baby inside a convenient, high-tech, egg-shaped pod. Pressured by her friends and her work's HR department, Rachel decides to give The Womb Center a shot. But Alvy, a professor of botany and lover of the natural world, is not thrilled to find out Rachel wants a pod baby. Despite this, they forge ahead and learn how this new technology will not only change society, but their relationship. Universe of Art host D. Peterschmidt sat down with the film's writer and director, Sophie Barthes, to talk about what inspired her to make the movie, and what may be lost in the thoughtless pursuit of technology. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com.
Pregnancy goes high-tech in "The Pod Generation"
How NASA translates space data into sparkly and haunting songs
You've probably heard that if you scream in space, no one will hear a thing. Space is a vacuum, so sound waves don't have anything to bounce off of. But that doesn't necessarily mean that space is silent. A team of researchers are taking data from a variety of telescopes and assigning them sounds, creating song-length sonifications of beloved space structures like black holes, nebulas, galaxies, and beyond. The album, called "Universal Harmonies" aims to bring galaxies to life and allow more people, such as those who are blind and low-vision, to engage with outer space. Guest host Flora Lichtman talks with two of the scientists behind "Universal Harmonies," Dr. Kimberly Arcand, visualization scientist at NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Dr. Matt Russo, astrophysicist and musician at the University of Toronto. Visit our website to listen to a selection of the ethereal sonifications of "Universal Harmonies." Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. The original segment featured in this episode was produced by Science Friday producer Rasha Aridi. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com. Read this episode's transcript here.
How NASA translates space data into sparkly and haunting songs
Star Trek's science advisor reveals the real astrophysics on screen
Few pop culture properties have lasted quite as long as Star Trek. A dozen Star Trek television shows have aired over the last sixty years—not to mention countless movies, novels, and comic books. Science concepts have always been integral to the Star Trek franchise: from warp speed travel to dilithium. But how much does the series accurately depict? Science Friday host Ira Flatow speaks with astrophysicist Dr. Erin Macdonald, science consultant for Star Trek about the legacy of the franchise, and how accurate the science is within the series. And Universe of Art host D. Peterschmidt chats with Science Friday producer Kathleen Davis about producing the segment and the role expert consultants play in TV and movies. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. The original segment featured in this episode was produced by Science Friday producer Kathleen Davis. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com. You can read this episode's transcript here.
Star Trek's science advisor reveals the real astrophysics on screen
Changing parasites' bad reputation with monster girl art
In Alien, the titular xenomorph uses the body of a human host to grow and eventually burst out of his chest. In the video game-turned TV series The Last Of Us, a fungi called cordyceps causes a catastrophic global pandemic by infecting humans and forming a parasitic relationship that turns them into flesh-eating zombies. Are you noticing a pattern here? As far as pop culture is concerned, humans and parasites definitely have beef. Dr. Tommy Leung, a lecturer and parasitologist at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia, was dissatisfied with the negative perception surrounding his primary research focus. "The word 'parasite' in general vernacular is kind of like an insult, and that's one reason why people don't care about them," he said. So, to help people understand the fascinating world of parasites, he started Parasite Monmusu, or Parasite Monster Girls, a blog where he shares original vibrant anime art of monster characters inspired by parasite species. Leung hopes that his illustrations and writing will help change negative perceptions of parasites. Lauren J. Young, associate health editor at Scientific American, profiled Leung in an article she wrote for Science Friday called Why We Should Defend Parasites. Universe of Art host D. Peterschmidt sits down with her to talk about what she learned while writing it, and then reads her article. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Charles Bergquist and John Dankosky provided production assistance. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. The original article featured in this episode was written by Lauren J. Young. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com. Read this episode's transcript here.
Changing parasites' bad reputation with monster girl art
Why this sound artist recorded nature and human life for 40 years
Jim Metzner is one of the pioneers of science radio—he's been making field recordings and sharing them with audiences for more than 40 years. He hosted shows such as "Sounds of Science" in the 1980s, which later grew into "Pulse of the Planet," a radio show about "the sound of life on Earth." Over the decades, Metzner has created an incredible time capsule of soundscapes, and now, his entire collection is going to the Library of Congress. John Dankosky talks with Metzner about what he's learned about the natural world from endless hours of recordings and what we can all learn from listening. Plus, they'll discuss some of his favorite recordings. To hear the best audio quality, it might be a good idea to use headphones if you can. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the music. Charles Bergquist and John Dankosky provided production assistance. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. The segment in this episode was originally produced by Rasha Aridi and John Dankosky. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com. Read this episode's transcript here.
Why this sound artist recorded nature and human life for 40 years
The surprising ways the arts transform our brains and bodies
We might intrinsically know that engaging with and making art is good for us in some way. But now, scientists have much more evidence to support this, thanks in part to a relatively new field called neuroaesthetics, which studies the effects that artistic experiences have on the brain. A new book called Your Brain On Art: How The Arts Transform Us, dives into that research, and it turns out the benefits of the arts go far beyond elevating everyday life; they're now being used as part of healthcare treatments to address conditions like dementia and trauma. Universe of Art host D. Peterschmidt sits down with the authors of the book, Susan Magsamen, executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at the Pederson Brain Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and Ivy Ross, vice president of design for hardware products at Google, about what we can learn from neuroaesthetic studies, the benefits of a daily arts practice, and the kinds of art they both like making. Read an excerpt from Your Brain On Art. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D. Peterschmidt, who also wrote the theme music. Charles Bergquist and John Dankosky provided production assistance. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com. You can read this episode's transcript here.
The surprising ways the arts transform our brains and bodies
This violinist is making ultra-affordable 3D-printed violins for kids
Stringed instruments can be a joy to the ears and the eyes. They're handcrafted, made of beautiful wood, and the very best ones are centuries old, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, or sometimes even millions. But there's a new violin in the works—one that's 3D-printed. It costs just a few bucks to print, making it an affordable and accessible option for young learners and classrooms. Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Brown is a concert violinist and the founder and director of the AVIVA Young Artists Program in Montreal, Quebec, and she's been tinkering with the design of 3D-printed violins for years. She talks with Ira about the science behind violins, the design process, and how she manages to turn $7 worth of plastic into a beautiful sounding instrument. Get updates on the project at printaviolin.com. Universe of Art is hosted and produced by D Peterschmidt, who also wrote the theme music. Charles Bergquist and John Dankosky provided production assistance. The original segment was produced by Rasha Aridi, and hosted by Ira Flatow. Our show art was illustrated by Abelle Hayford. Support for Science Friday's science and arts coverage comes from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do you have an idea for a future episode of Universe of Art? Send us an email or a voice memo to universe@sciencefriday.com.
This violinist is making ultra-affordable 3D-printed violins for kids
