How can we use music and sound to our advantage within science? Can music help us understand these enigmatic systems, such as the brain and space?
Within this complex universe, there are many forms of natural phenomena that remain unknown and mysterious to us. Many aspects remain unfathomable to the naked eye.
The human brain and space, are two dynamic systems that remain mysterious and somewhat incomprehensible. However, has our reliance on sight, negated the use of other senses?
Could Music Provide a Deeper Understanding of Our Universe?
Music is seen as a powerful, human experience that connects us all through its universal language. Many researchers have studied the impact of sound on humans, and the influence it has over our emotions.
Numerical Astronomer and Professor at Liverpool John Moores, Andrew Newsam, investigates this further, concerning his research into the sonification of the universe, or as he calls it the ‘Soniverse’.
His collaboration with musical composer Gavin Starks, allowed him to explore this concept through auditory means.
When visualising the universe, there are various frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum, in which light is used to visually represent these frequencies, such as gamma, UV and x-rays. Although light can offer information regarding the positioning of galaxies, there may be some theories that suggest sound could provide a deeper insight.
When converting frequencies within the universe into sound, Newsam takes data from pulsating stars that orbit planets, due to their emittance of radio signals. These signals are then converted into pressure waves, in order to reveal sound. Each pulsating star equates to one note; from there, one could create an entirely new instrument, just based on our galaxy.
Starks. (2019) Soniverse - Galaxy Cube Player example [video]. Sourced from Youtube [Accessed: 14th April 2021]
Hubble Space Telescope. (2011) Antennae Galaxies composite of ALMA and Hubble observations [Visible light image] Sourced from ESO [Accessed: 3rd April 2021]
The question is, what does this tell us about our universe? Other than it may sound cool?
Through converting our galaxy into sounds, in order to create this acoustic spectrum, it could reveal fascinating discoveries into astronomical phenomena: such as dark energy or stellar evolution. This could be a whole new way of measuring space through sound!
Composer Gavin Sparks, claims that it could also illustrate how the universe has evolved through the narrative of music (taken from lecture). As a compositional tool, it is very promising for musicians, as to what innovative music could be produced from these celestial bodies.
Although this does seem very promising, it is no easy process, and something that Newsam claims requires re-writing the laws of physics (taken from lecture). This project illustrates a fascinating case regarding the innovative discoveries of the universe from a transdisciplinary collaboration; of which may not have occurred without this partnership. This reveals other possibilities from art and science collaborations.
In the advanced age of technology, Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming widely used within artistic and medical research.
Signori. (2017) VR – Health [photograph] Sourced from Wired Italia. [Accessed: 20th April 2021]
For this reason, Newsam aims to implement VR within his ‘Soniverse’, by consuming the audience into this auditory, celestial landscape.
From looking into the compelling concept of sound as a tool for analysing the universe, we must also look at how music can aide our understanding of the brain.
Many studies have illustrated the influence of music on brain activity and the experience of emotion. Researchers at Sonic Arts Research Centre have looked into measuring our experience of music, through physiological responses such as: heart rate and skin conductance response. More advanced ways to measure the body’s response to music is through Electroencephalograms (EEGs), which measures brain activity.
By using EEGs to measure the brains response to music, we can also question how we can harness our brains activity to create music? Can this help us to understand more about the brain?
Electronic musician and music cognition researcher Grace Lesley, developed a research project that aims to understand the link between music and emotion. Her method? Artificial intelligence!
Gehlot. (2020) The Future of Music with AI [photograph], Sourced from Technofaq. [Accessed: 21st April 2021]
Leslie’s experience of music cognition, led her to create an algorithm that generates brain and body signals into music; thus, creating a new form of music technology. This could create many potentials within the music industry and the formation of a new music genre.
As well as benefitting the music industry, it also gives further investigation into the brain. Through generating heart rate and brain activity into music, it allows individuals to understand and regulate their mood; thus forming a comprehension of the human experience, which is still widely misunderstood in science.
A New Avenue of Medicine: Brain Stethoscopes
Researcher Dr Joseph Parvizi, examined the role of sonification in medicine further, through a diagnostic mechanism.
In his research, he converted EEG data into sound, in order to identify seizures. By converting the voltage of the EEG data, and modulating the pitch, he found that seizures were easier to identify audibly than through visual identification.
Neuroscience New (2018) ‘Brain Stethoscope’ [photograph]. Sourced from Instagram. [Accessed: 21st April 2021]
Could this lead to a new avenue within medicine of audible diagnostics and brain stethoscopes? And does this prove how music can truly help us understand the brain?
These fascinating insights of music, AI and the brain, has led Leslie to produce artistic performances based on her research. Her piece ‘Vessels’ (2016) combines the flute and computer-based music technology that she developed. Within her performances she records her raw EEG (brain activity), electro-dermal activity (sweat activity) and ECG (heart activity) data in which music emerges. Through understanding the impact of music on bodily responses, Leslie manipulates this data by slowing down her breathing and vocally expressing long tones, in order to create this ‘introspective expression’ of music. As well as this, she was also able to manipulate her brain waves, by paying close attention to her body. In this respect her music and research are very intertwined, and illustrate the importance of remaining connected to our bodies.
Vessels (2016) Eero Saarinen Chapel, Massachusetts, September 2016. Image sourced from Grace Leslie [Accessed: 26th March 2021] Screenshot from video: Grace Leslie
Researchers Newsam, Leslie and Parvizi, demonstrate key themes of sonification and the connection of music to the brain and space; of which recent research has outlined similarities between these two systems.
A pilot study by Astrophysicist Franco Vazza and Neurosurgeon Alberto Feletti was conducted, in which they analysed the neuronal and cosmic network, and found similarities in their composition, such as: the brain contains 77% water and the universe contains 72% dark energy. Although this may seem coincidental, the frequency of these similarities suggests potential laws that govern the evolution of these systems.
Campbell. (2015) Neurons in the Brain [illustration]. Sourced from Flickr. [Accessed: 20th April 2021]
Kornmesser (2014) Artists impression of mysterious alignment of quasar rotation axes. [illustration] sourced from ESO. [Accessed: 20th April 2021]
Physicist Dmitri Krioukov, suggest that these laws also outline how systems like the internet or social networks evolve through natural growth dynamics; thus proving further application.
This may suggest key patterns in evolution and illustrate a connection from the brain and the universe. On the other hand, a conversation I had with Cosmologist Chris Collins, he suggested that these findings are merely surface level and when examining the details in the universe, the theory becomes flawed. We could also further question the method of this analysis, as it is limited to the analysis of only one universe, thus questioning the reliability.
Having examined the relation of the brain to the universe through the tool of music, it reveals further questions for future research, particularly how can music enhance our understanding of such complex systems?
In conclusion, through examining these various projects into sonification, some questions remain. Within Professor Newsam's project, one questions how could this investigation advance towards other senses? Could we understand the universe through touch or taste?
This was confirmed by his project that explored the realm of touch within astronomy, however the project never fully took off.
Within Grace Leslie's research, we can observe the possibilities of music in understanding the human condition and regulating mood; however, could this lead to music as a tool in medicine? Dr Parvizi's research into brain stethoscopes confirms this possibility, by converting brain waves into sound, in order to diagnose Epilepsy.
This illustrates the possibilities of music, and the innovative applications for cosmology and medicine!