Scopes Monkey Choir

Musical Relativity

Scopes Monkey Matt — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 03:03:32 +0000

Physicists on Einstein and Einstein on the Beach

Scopes Monkey Matt — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 17:17:26 +0000

My name is Hai-Ting Chinn. I’m a singer, and I’m in the 2012 production of Einstein on the Beach. If you’ve seen the production, I’m the one with pig-tails who listens to the conch shell. I also sing the aria called “The Bed,” which consists of a series of increasingly longer and higher notes with no consonants (and no mercy for the singer!), and accompanies a white bar of light as it disappears into darkness.

I’m also a not-so-secret science geek. I have a podcast called Scopes Monkey Choir: where music and sound meet science and skepticism, which I co-host with composer Matthew Schickele. While touring with Einstein on the Beach, I’ve been interviewing scientists about Einstein, both the person and the opera.

Our regular listeners know all this already, and are probably wondering why I’m telling them yet again. It’s because I thought that some of the audience of the opera, who have never heard or even heard of our podcast, might be interested in hearing those interviews.

In this post are links to the episodes in which I chat with scientists about Einstein on the Beach, plus a conversation with Philip Glass. Enjoy, and thanks for listening!

SMC 61: Relativity & Art with Peter Galison, science historian, physicist and author.
SMC 62: Fred Adams Interview, Part I, astrophysicist
SMC 63: Fred Adams Interview, Part II, astrophysicist
SMC 68: Interview – Glass on Einstein on the Beach Part I, the composer talks with a performer about art and science.
SMC 69: Interview – Glass on Einstein on the Beach Part II
SMC 76: My Dinner With Physicists, informal chats with physicists Lee Smolin, Robert Spekkens, Hector Bombin, Peter Hatch, and Carlos Tamarit
SMC 85: Interview with Sean Carroll, physicist

SMC 85: Interview with physicist Sean Carroll

Scopes Monkey Matt — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 17:09:30 +0000

Interview with physicist and author Sean Carroll.

Libration: a song

Scopes Monkey Matt — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 14:27:09 +0000

SMC 84: Interview with Indre Viskontas

Scopes Monkey Matt — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:29:51 +0000

The fantabulous neuroscientist/soprano Indre Viskontas.

SMC 83: Cooperation, Compassion, Tapping

Scopes Monkey Matt — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 21:08:52 +0000

Hi-Fi Writer on the loudness wars.

”The Frog Song” (above) from the study about children’s cooperation. (PDF)

Group music sessions ‘may boost empathy in children.’ (coverage, study)

NYTimes column mentioned.
“Tapping” study (PDF).

SMC 82: Aurora, Piracy, Elephants, and Boring Pop

Scopes Monkey Matt — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:50:54 +0000

Finland aurora study: are there sounds associated with the northern lights?

70 Percent of All Music Piracy Happens Offline.
Study by the NPD group, a market research firm.

The secrets of the elephant’s larynx. (NYTimes, Study)
Video of elephant vocal folds.
Video of elephants in wild making infrasonic calls.

Modern pop: louder and “dumber?” Let’s discuss the limits of this study.
SciAm coverage.
Slate coverage.
The Million-song dataset.
The loudness wars (video).

SMC 81: Derek’s Music Therapy Experience

Scopes Monkey Matt — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:23:38 +0000

We interview Derek Colanduno about his post-stroke experience with music therapy, and how his relationship with music changed.

Mentioned: The Shepherd Center.

SMC 80: Avocado, Fly-sex bat attacks, Interview with a synesthete

Scopes Monkey Matt — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 19:53:50 +0000

We’re back from The Amazing Meeting.

Putting out fire with sound.

Ultrasonic avocado testing. (Early research)

Fly sex ups bat attacks. (coverage, paper)

Interview with Emily, a synesthete. (Hear our original episodes about synesthesia, 5 & 6)

Flattened Tuba

Scopes Monkey Matt — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:34:21 +0000

Sousaphone, really. Spotted at the back of a music store by Bob Novella.

(click to embiggen)