StarTalk Podcast: The Hidden Science of Music with Eric Whitacre

There’s science in everything, even when you don’t realize it. On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with Grammy-award winning composer Eric Whitacre to explore the hidden science of music. Joined by comic co-host Chuck Nice and neuroscientist Heather Berlin, PhD, we’re investigating how science and mathematics can influence and shape music.

To start, we discuss something a lot of people have dealt with: forced music lessons. Heather explains why learning music is like learning a language and how reading music can impact growth in other areas of the brain.

You’ll find out how Eric became a musician even though he was on a path to be a scientist. Eric also tells us why he thinks NASA is a “crazy collection of artists.”

Then, we welcome mathematician and concert pianist Eugenia Cheng to help us demystify math and music, and show us how they interact. And Neil poses the question: would all musicians be better if they had more knowledge in math?

Lastly, we explore the patterns of music, how important novelty is to the brain, and why rebelling against patterns lead to the development of classical music.

Thanks to our Patrons Julia Zeikowitz, Cory Ricci, Sridev Pawar, Mark Hachem, Michael Gessner, Roderic E Hairston, Chuck Betlach, and Riyam Al-Sammarraie for supporting us this week.

About the prints that flank Neil in this video:

"Black Swan” & "White Swan" limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver https://inuit.com/.

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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