Science, Storytelling, and “Gut Churn”: Jad Abumrad on the Secrets of Creative Success
On diving head-first into the unknown. Since 2004, Radiolab has been sparking a singular kind of magic at the intersection of science and storytelling, redefining not only public radio but also the “role of scientific culture in modern society,” to borrow Richard Feynman’s words. In this fantastic talk from The 99% Conference, Radiolab mastermind and MacArthur genius Jad Abumrad takes us behind the scenes … Read more
A Six Year Old’s Imagination Becomes Adorable Viral Short Film
This is just so freaking adorable and happy, I have to share. We all get a little scared sometimes. Scared of graduating school without a plan; scared of monsters. One six year old has a remedy: think of something else until the “nervous has gone out of you.” Think of juice, pizza, and a piano … Read more
Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists
An interesting review of a book about John Cage by Maria Popova On love, liberty, and the pursuit of silence. “Good music can act as a guide to good living,”John Cage (1912-1992) once said. But what, exactly, is good music, or good living, or, for that matter, goodness itself? Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, … Read more
A High-Tech Turntable Converts Tree Rings Into Piano Music
IN “YEARS,” BARTHOLOMÄUS TRAUBECK MINES THE NATURAL DATA STORED IN A TREE USING SOME SOPHISTICATED MAN-MADE TECHNOLOGY. Ever consider playing a cross-section of a tree like a vinyl record? We hadn’t until introduced to the work of Bartholomäus Traubeck, who has figured out a way to translate the rings of wooden disks into music using a … Read more
Photographer Martin Klimas Paints Like Pollock With Sound
How do you paint with sound? It’s a good question and the answer comes from German photographer Martin Klimas. He starts by putting different colored paint on top of a speaker over some translucent material, then cranks up the volume. The vibrations of the speaker shoot the paint into the air creating beautiful patterns and sculptural … Read more
4D virtual reality theme park
‘live park’ 4D virtual reality theme park above, the ‘lunar face’ installation ‘Live park‘, created by interaction and theme park design company D’strict, is a 4D theme park, integrated with kinect, RFID-enabled bracelets, and data sensors to present a mixed physical/virtual -reality world for visitors. Upon entering the park, a user creates an avatar for himself that will … Read more
Musical therapy is making breakthroughs
Over the summer I participated in a workshop held for art and music therapists. It was there that I knew for sure that I could only work within the realm of passive therapy. I would be useless otherwise, since I cried at every story that was told that day – it was heart wrenching, yet … Read more
BBC Philharmonic Commision
While working on my thesis and studying experimental animation, I have come across synesthesia quite a bit. For artists, the idea of sound merging as seamlessly as possible with sight has been a fascination of many throughout the years, including mine. (The movie Fantasia is a popular example of this.) So when I saw Andrew Brooks work (below), I … Read more
