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From the Higgs Boson Particle to Leadbelly

Posted by Hemos on from the looking-for-particles-in-the-songs dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Physicists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are using the same methods to search for the elusive Higgs Boson particle and to digitally restore audio recordings from the past. Berkeley Lab signed an agreement with the Library of Congress to digitize the many thousands of early blues or jazz recordings it has in its archives. And the results are spectacular. Compare for example, these two versions of "Good Bye Irene", before and after being optically reconstructed (WAV format, 18 and 19 seconds). This news release describes the method used by the physicists. This overview contains other details and extra references about this project." We also covered finding Higgs Boson recently as well.

21 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Yes!! by clifgriffin · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can't wait to place this new digitally restored version next to my old Good Bye Irene CD, and right under my Good Bye Irene poster.

    --
    clifgriffin > blog
  2. Does this mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    DRMed quarks will be just around the corner?

  3. Higgs Boson? You fools! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Haven't these maniacs ever watched Lexx?! Detecting the Higgs Boson particle will shrink the world to an ultradense particle, about the size of a pea!

    TV doesn't lie to me!

  4. Re:RIAA-MGM? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    So out of the goodness of their little hearts the RIAA is sponsoring this restoration, or are they going through and copyrighting all of this material?
    Record companies steal royalties copyrights from deceased blues musicians? Inconceiveable!
  5. How about digital? by PacoTaco · · Score: 2, Funny

    I wonder if these guys can help me with this cheap batch of DVD-Rs I bought.

  6. Woot! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashdotted a .gov! Soon we'll be able to hold the world's governments for ransome!

  7. It has been said before. by eclectro · · Score: 4, Funny


    Before the song is "Good Bye Irene".

    After the song is "Good By Webserver".

    The sound of this new song is unusually pure and quiet. My congratulations to the Berkeley team.

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  8. Big Deal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I ran the first sample through noise reduction with an old copy of Cool Edit and got better results. None of that lame pulsing background noise either.

  9. Same Methods? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    By colliding two audio recordings together at near-lightspeed in an underground tunnel, physicists hope to uncover the much anticipated Higgs boson, or at the very least produce a half-decent Britney album.

    1. Re:Same Methods? by mdielmann · · Score: 2, Funny

      Colliding two Britney albums at high speeds makes them both better. Further research revealed that colliding a single Britney album against a brick wall improved that album to the same degree as colliding it with another Britney album. Grant proposals are being written up as we speak for extensive studies in this field, both with different celebrities and combinations of celebrities to see if this observation holds true, and under what circumstances.

      --
      Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
  10. Nice try by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    1). It's "Dexy's Midnight Runners" 2). It's "Come on Eileen"

  11. Re:RIAA-MGM? by viking099 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You use that word.
    Are you sure it means what you think it means?

  12. Re:Better, but far from perfect... by ryanvm · · Score: 1, Funny

    Actually, the new version gives me a low scale headache from the constant flutter.

    You sound like you're fun to hang out with.

  13. Re:Higgs Boson? You fools! by shadowcabbit · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, it won't! It'll just allow instantaneous interstellar travel when coupled with a computer that can calculate the timeshift differentials!

    Sheesh, all this wonderful anime and nobody learns anything from it...

    --
    "Why Subscribe?" Good question...
  14. Re:quality loss by SmackCrackandPot · · Score: 5, Funny

    The cracks and the spikes in a song can give it a certain charm.

    You can always put them back, if you really want to.

  15. Star Trek by hey · · Score: 2, Funny

    Anybody remember the episode of the original Star Trek where somebody was drunk and driving everyone crazy singing
    Good Night Irene thru the intercom.
    Now that's TV!

  16. Re:quality loss by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 2, Funny

    Even if a lot of quality of the songs are improved a bit of authenticity of the songs is lost. The cracks and the spikes in a song can give it a certain charm.

    Can't they be digitally added back in? Instant authenticity!

  17. Re:quality loss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, the charm is an entirely different particle.

  18. baka baka. by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 2, Funny

    STFU
    - ruri

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
  19. For those who can't get through to the samples... by Anixamander · · Score: 3, Funny

    The second one sounds just like the first one, except with Puff Daddy going "Unhhh, Unhhh" over top of it.

    --
    Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball(TM)
  20. Re:RIAA-MGM? by jdray · · Score: 2, Funny

    A Slashdotter steals lines from a deceased giant who had a passion for wrestling? Inconceivable!

    --
    The Spoon
    Updated 6/28/2011