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Space Music

Posted by michael on from the sound-of-silence dept.

KeelSpawn writes "CNN is running an article about "sounds in outer space", which begins: "University of Iowa astrophysicist Donald Gurnett first heard the sounds on a spacecraft in 1962 and it reminded him of music. The sounds, which resemble whistles, bird chirps and booms, would not be heard by someone in space but are picked up by sensitive radio equipment. The sounds will be blended into a performance this autumn by the Kronos Quartet when they play at Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa in Iowa City." The U. of Iowa has a page about the concert.

12 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. but in space... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny


    no-one can hear you scream

  2. Copyright by SashaM · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wouldn't it infringe on this? On the other hand, I think god can afford more lawyers than John Cage's music publishers.

  3. Uh oh by Glint · · Score: 5, Funny

    Imagine that the only transmission from Earth that makes it to some alien civilization is this concert, and they disregard it as background noise.

    Tragic.

    - Adam

  4. Sounds by af_robot · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...The sounds, which resemble whistles, bird chirps and booms...

    Sounds just like the latest "Chemical brothers" album...

  5. 2001 by Ilan+Volow · · Score: 5, Funny

    And to think for years I thought the background noise of space was complete and total silence interspersed with Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz. Damn you, Stanley Kubrick!

    --
    Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
  6. Kronos Quartet? by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Anybody else think that 'Kronos Quartet' is a nod to Star Trek? I think Kronos is the Klingon homeworld.

    *tries to imagine a Chemical Brothers style Klingon band*

    --
    "Derp de derp."
    1. Re:Kronos Quartet? by ObviousGuy · · Score: 3, Informative

      Or Kronos is a variant of Chronos who was the god of time.

      --
      I have been pwned because my /. password was too easy to guess.
    2. Re:Kronos Quartet? by IvyMike · · Score: 3, Funny

      I don't think it's possible, although maybe someone else can help me out. Kronos Quartet was formed in 1973; I don't think that the Klingon homeworld was actually called "Kronos" in the original series. It wasn't used until after the formation of the "Kronos Quartet". But then again, I'm not a Trek expert. Anybody out there have a definitive reference on when the word "Kronos" was first used in the Star Trek mythos?

  7. If a tree falls....... by phunhippy · · Score: 3, Funny

    So if a tree falls and space, and no one is around to hear it... Does it make music?

  8. Source of Some Space Sounds by laxian · · Score: 4, Informative
    Nice sounds from our magnetosphere: http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/mcgreevy/

    For live sounds, check out NASA's Online VLF Receiver

    These sounds were incorporated into a song by totally badass producer Si Begg:

    S.I. Futures - Ionic Funk

    --

    our written thoughts are gifts to our future selves

  9. For budding djs by shomon2 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Or those wanting to do mixes of their own: http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/~dag/sounds.html - the sounds page belonging to the professor who converted them to human audible... Please post mp3 conversions if you do any! Thanks

    Ale

  10. There's a key difference in their works by robolemon · · Score: 4, Funny
    John Cage: 4 minutes and 33 seconds

    This song: 4 minutes (right ascension) and 33 light-seconds

    --

    I design user interfaces for a free network management application,