Announcement by the Harvard Physics Department: FIRST EVER VIOLIN-TESLA COIL DUET! Instrumentalist, singers, scientists, techies, and at least one Nobel Laureate gathered yesterday in the physics department’s SciBox to rehearse before the 28th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, which will be held in Sanders Theatre on Thursday, September 13….
Tag: violin
Music discriminations by carp (Cyprinus carpio)
“Prior to this series of experiments, the prevailing opinion appeared to be skepticism as to whether koi could discriminate one piece of music from another under any circumstances. Now it appears that these animals can discriminate polyphonic music, discriminate melodic patterns, and even classify music by artistic genre.” Koi (Cyprinus carpio), which are members of […]
Instrumental Maladies (part 4: Violins)
A final (but by no means complete) roundup of the work-related instrument-specific health-risks that professional musicians may encounter during their career … Part 4 : Violins • Violin chin rest eczema due to east-indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia ROXB). • Chin rest allergy in a violinist • Allergic contact dermatitis on a violinist’s neck from para-phenylenediamine […]
Plausible: Sounds & Shoes & Skirts (Stradivarius)
Two looks at a new study about the famously superior sound of Stradivarius violins: Jennifer Ouellette (Cocktail Party Physics): “Anatomy of a Stradivarius.” [BONUS (Jan 3): Musician buys old violin at flea market worth thousands.] Ed Yong (Not Exactly Rocket Science): “Violinists can’t tell the difference between Stradivarius violins and new ones.” [BONUS: Comments by one of the study […]