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Science Quickly

The Dead Composer Whose ‘Brain’ Still Makes Music

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.31.4K Ratings

🗓️ 26 September 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In a hauntingly innovative exhibit, brain cells grown from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s blood generate sound. Set in a museum in Perth, Australia, the installation blurs the line between art and neuroscience. Host Rachel Feltman and associate editor Allison Parshall explore the profound questions the exhibit raises about creativity, consciousness and the meaning of making music.  E-mail us at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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So we started the business two years ago.

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We had a few people who were used to PCs and this was their first foray into Macs.

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But it's been super smooth getting everyone onto those devices and everyone seems really, really happy.

0:18.0

Find out how Mac can help you run and grow your business at apple.com forward slash

0:23.6

HelloVet.

0:26.9

Hi listeners, I'm Jeff Delvisio, the chief multimedia editor and executive producer here at Scientific

0:31.9

American.

0:32.5

I work every day alongside Rachel and Fonda and the rest of our crew here at Siam to bring you science quickly.

0:39.2

But before we dive into today's episode, I want to share something very personal and important.

0:44.4

I've spent the last 25 years of my life telling stories about science. I've written, filmed,

0:50.1

recorded, and animated the discoveries that shape our world. Whether it's exploring science inside

0:54.9

of biosafety labs or out on ice sheets, I've witnessed the power of science journalism.

1:00.3

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1:06.2

Misinformation is growing and responsible reporting. Real verified reporting, takes time, care, and support.

1:14.1

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1:19.0

By subscribing to Siam, you're supporting the work we do to bring you science quickly.

1:22.8

Please consider getting a subscription today at Scientificamerican.com slash gets I am slash science quickly.

1:29.9

As Thomas Jefferson once said, if a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization,

1:35.8

it expects what never was, never will be. I know we all want to live free. So let's keep learning

1:42.7

together. For Scientific American Science quickly, I'm Rachel Feltman.

2:11.6

Plenty of us would find it difficult to compose a new piece of music under any circumstances,

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