What an intriguing piece! Talk about science as the composer, or interpreter rather. Nano technology helps UCLA scientists listen to the 'music' created by yeast cells. The piece may inspire artists or musicians to create unusual rhythms or sounds. It may inspire other scientists to stop and listen to their experiments for a change. Every living being has a voice, some have unprecedented ways of expressing them. We just have to listen between the sounds. Great for educational purposes.
This is an amazing piece. I find that it is an interesting combination of content: a blend of ethereal music, factually based interviews and a rather intriguing use of noise generated by the yeast cells themselves. While the content is grounded in science, there are some very experimental and artistic qualities that cannot be ignored. This piece really reminds me that science is as much about how one interprets data as about how the data is gathered. The pacing, the etherealness of the tones and the moody qualities of the music made it very difficult for me to follow the dialog, but I sense that this was intentional. After all, I was listening to physical matter vibrate. Excellent!
The piece is portraing the types of sounds that can be detected with an atomic force microscope. This represents a fascinating new application to microscopy, and something that one might have origianlly thought too esoteric for most science labs. When I interviewed for graduate schools I was asked by a professor at Penn what a cell sounds like. Esoteric. But ever since I have been dying to know what cells sound like and the microscopic level. As a yeast microscopist, I have always wanted to know how loud the "Click" is when a cell divides in two woth a violent splitting of the two cells. Now the technologie is availble. However this radio piece is overly complexed with different audio noise that there is essentially little to be learned. Essentially a scientific journalistic attempt is overpopulated by cliche sounds and techno tracks that there is little left of the original scientific interest. In fact a casual listener would certainly be lost in the breadth of sound bytes presented. To move this piece to the radio cut heavily and tighten the air-time to the scientific interest to have a compelling story.
A view of the scientific method that suggests there is more "art" and creativity involved than one first imagines. There is also an element that suggests some anthropomorphism on the part of the researchers. It hooks you quickly and cultivates your interest. If it's guilty of anything, it might be a bit overproduced - but not objectionably so.
I wonder about the usefulness of the tape looped segments, with voices repeating parts of the text. It makes it weird, but this is not particularly informative. Hard to sort out what is the engineer fooling around with sounds, and what is derived from the scientific exploration of the resonances of cells.
The IDEA of resonances and harmonies that can be perceived is quite wonderful, as is the possibilities that this kind of science -- which seems so off the wall at first -- could lead to diagnostic tools for medicine or who knows what, so very interesting.
Bravo! It is so encouraging to hear work that captures the wonder and mystery of science, as well as the routine and accidental aspects of lab research--all without a reporter's voice.
In a way, THE SINGING YEAST CELL is a marvelously "dated" kind of feature in that it hearkens back to the cult film THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS (with Stevie Wonder) and to various 1970s and 1980s NPR documentaries--for example, on the Electromagnetic Spectrum--which used tones and music imaginatively and effectively. (Alas, nowadays such radio techniques are all too often dismissed as inappropriately artistic, confusing, even 'manipulative.')
I especially appreciated Claes' use of "mystery" sounds: sounds which are not explained, or not immediately explained, or which are self-explanatory over time. Such sounds make make the radio piece all the more vivid.
By the way, this superb feature reminds me of when, at NPR ages ago, I assigned a reporter to do a piece about certain cells in the human cochlea which apparently vibrate at a constant frequency and thus "broadcast" a tone. I would now like to encourage Claes to consider producing a piece about--THE SINGING EAR CELLS.
The very idea behind this piece should have made it a no-brainer for PDs everywhere. Somewhere in 24 HOURS OF A BROADCAST DAY there must 13 minutes that really aren't all they could be -- be honest now, people, even if you did program them.
This piece has bagged on average a perfect 5 because it is based on a fascinating idea that has been brilliantly translated to audio. Beautifully produced and rendered -- there is not a dull moment. You must play ALL of this. In fact, play it several times in different program blocks over the course a week.
Playing this piece on your air will demonstrate to your listeners that there is more to being a PD than just filling dead air.
This is an excellent piece, a wonderful example of how to open up audio to different uses. I did have a lot of trouble listening with the high-pitched squeals. I significant hearing loss, so maybe others wouldn't be as bothered by it. Beyond that, this piece is very unique and an interesting artform -- both the cell music and the production of the piece.
This piece will surely be heard on a national show sometime, if it hasn't already. But it could fit on any station that wants to focus on news of the strange, or during a local science show. There is so much educational stuff out there in audio. There really should be an effort to put together a weekly show to be played in schools. Somehow we need to be able to deliver a show to schools so it's effortless for them to let the children here wonderful pieces like this. Something almost ethereal.
It may seem like this is only for the technologically-inclined -- but I'm not -- and I still loved it. This piece is a great scientific sound journey into the life of cells and the scientists who study them. The sound is simply amazing - eery and other-worldly -- and it completely takes you out of your environment and puts you somewhere else. This is what radio was made for! I found it fascinating and definitely would recommend it to any programmer who wants to give the audience a wild ride.
This is a remarkable use of radio, a voyage made of sound combining the very solidness of scientific voice and the diaphanous hand of sound art. Actually this is like two voages in one: with sound as translator of cell, you get to be variations of a cell: a mutant, a mother, a daughter (leaving a mother), a drunk..and the other: an occasional subliminal urge to wander in places where science minds go.
This could easily be inserted for pleasure or science - my only fear is the length for NPR news shows - but well worth it ! ( ...notes to producer) But in the end, it is a beautiful thing. Chapeau.
Comments for The Singing Yeast Cell
Produced by Claes Andreasson
Other pieces by Claes Andreasson
Rating Summary
10 comments
Emon Hassan
Posted on May 01, 2005 at 12:11 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
What an intriguing piece! Talk about science as the composer, or interpreter rather. Nano technology helps UCLA scientists listen to the 'music' created by yeast cells. The piece may inspire artists or musicians to create unusual rhythms or sounds. It may inspire other scientists to stop and listen to their experiments for a change. Every living being has a voice, some have unprecedented ways of expressing them. We just have to listen between the sounds. Great for educational purposes.
[redacted]
Posted on August 21, 2004 at 04:55 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
This is an amazing piece. I find that it is an interesting combination of content: a blend of ethereal music, factually based interviews and a rather intriguing use of noise generated by the yeast cells themselves. While the content is grounded in science, there are some very experimental and artistic qualities that cannot be ignored. This piece really reminds me that science is as much about how one interprets data as about how the data is gathered. The pacing, the etherealness of the tones and the moody qualities of the music made it very difficult for me to follow the dialog, but I sense that this was intentional. After all, I was listening to physical matter vibrate. Excellent!
Dale Beach
Posted on August 09, 2004 at 06:40 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
The piece is portraing the types of sounds that can be detected with an atomic force microscope. This represents a fascinating new application to microscopy, and something that one might have origianlly thought too esoteric for most science labs. When I interviewed for graduate schools I was asked by a professor at Penn what a cell sounds like. Esoteric. But ever since I have been dying to know what cells sound like and the microscopic level. As a yeast microscopist, I have always wanted to know how loud the "Click" is when a cell divides in two woth a violent splitting of the two cells. Now the technologie is availble. However this radio piece is overly complexed with different audio noise that there is essentially little to be learned. Essentially a scientific journalistic attempt is overpopulated by cliche sounds and techno tracks that there is little left of the original scientific interest. In fact a casual listener would certainly be lost in the breadth of sound bytes presented. To move this piece to the radio cut heavily and tighten the air-time to the scientific interest to have a compelling story.
Frank Paine
Posted on July 07, 2004 at 04:52 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
A view of the scientific method that suggests there is more "art" and creativity involved than one first imagines. There is also an element that suggests some anthropomorphism on the part of the researchers. It hooks you quickly and cultivates your interest. If it's guilty of anything, it might be a bit overproduced - but not objectionably so.
mark goldschmidt
Posted on July 06, 2004 at 09:46 AM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
Very interesting subject.
I wonder about the usefulness of the tape looped segments, with voices repeating parts of the text. It makes it weird, but this is not particularly informative. Hard to sort out what is the engineer fooling around with sounds, and what is derived from the scientific exploration of the resonances of cells.
The IDEA of resonances and harmonies that can be perceived is quite wonderful, as is the possibilities that this kind of science -- which seems so off the wall at first -- could lead to diagnostic tools for medicine or who knows what, so very interesting.
Alex van Oss
Posted on June 27, 2004 at 02:16 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
Bravo! It is so encouraging to hear work that captures the wonder and mystery of science, as well as the routine and accidental aspects of lab research--all without a reporter's voice.
In a way, THE SINGING YEAST CELL is a marvelously "dated" kind of feature in that it hearkens back to the cult film THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS (with Stevie Wonder) and to various 1970s and 1980s NPR documentaries--for example, on the Electromagnetic Spectrum--which used tones and music imaginatively and effectively. (Alas, nowadays such radio techniques are all too often dismissed as inappropriately artistic, confusing, even 'manipulative.')
I especially appreciated Claes' use of "mystery" sounds: sounds which are not explained, or not immediately explained, or which are self-explanatory over time. Such sounds make make the radio piece all the more vivid.
By the way, this superb feature reminds me of when, at NPR ages ago, I assigned a reporter to do a piece about certain cells in the human cochlea which apparently vibrate at a constant frequency and thus "broadcast" a tone. I would now like to encourage Claes to consider producing a piece about--THE SINGING EAR CELLS.
Jackson Braider
Posted on June 21, 2004 at 05:07 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
This piece has bagged on average a perfect 5 because it is based on a fascinating idea that has been brilliantly translated to audio. Beautifully produced and rendered -- there is not a dull moment. You must play ALL of this. In fact, play it several times in different program blocks over the course a week.
Playing this piece on your air will demonstrate to your listeners that there is more to being a PD than just filling dead air.
Hans Anderson
Posted on June 19, 2004 at 10:09 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
This piece will surely be heard on a national show sometime, if it hasn't already. But it could fit on any station that wants to focus on news of the strange, or during a local science show. There is so much educational stuff out there in audio. There really should be an effort to put together a weekly show to be played in schools. Somehow we need to be able to deliver a show to schools so it's effortless for them to let the children here wonderful pieces like this. Something almost ethereal.
Melissa Waldron Lehner
Posted on March 25, 2004 at 05:01 PM | Permalink
Review of The Singing Yeast Cell
It may seem like this is only for the technologically-inclined -- but I'm not -- and I still loved it. This piece is a great scientific sound journey into the life of cells and the scientists who study them. The sound is simply amazing - eery and other-worldly -- and it completely takes you out of your environment and puts you somewhere else. This is what radio was made for! I found it fascinating and definitely would recommend it to any programmer who wants to give the audience a wild ride.
[redacted]
Posted on March 24, 2004 at 06:23 PM | Permalink
Reveiw of The Singing Yeast Cell
This could easily be inserted for pleasure or science - my only fear is the length for NPR news shows - but well worth it ! ( ...notes to producer) But in the end, it is a beautiful thing. Chapeau.