2008.01.10 Music of the Spheres: The Physics of Music - by Robert Porter, Ph.D.

Review:

Robert Porter delivered the last talk about "Music of the Spheres: The Physics of Music". His style of delivery has been described as rambling, ambling, discursive, turgid, dense, opaque, plutonic, confusing and silly. Moreover, these are his words. His audience has described it as Tejano. But in spite of technical difficulties in the demonstrations, the show did go on. And on. He said the concept of the Music of the Spheres was the early thinkers' attempt to find an order in the behavior of the planets that hinted at influences on earth. The mathematical relationships they saw in orbital relationships seemed very like the order that Pythagoras found in musical intervals of stringed instruments. But Porter thinks the rhythms we hear in heartbeats is more down to earth. And you don't have to wait for the sun to go down to appreciate them if you have a willing friend.

Preview:

After a couple of weeks of welcome break Robert Porter will get the proverbial ball rolling again with a discussion of spherical objects in his talk titled, “Music of the Spheres: The Physics of Music”. Many people’s associations with physics makes them wince. Almost as many people grimace at the mention of physics as will lighten up at a discussion of music. Porter will attempt to soothe the savage breast of bad memories of physics classes gone haywire by appealing to the universally interesting topic of music. A great deal of music can in fact be understood through this science; music as a Trojan horse, as it were. Wine will not be served. But on the up side, Dr. Porter will not play his favorite CD’s of Spike Jones and the City Slickers.