Sometimes it's hard to understand difficult science concepts, unless we sing about them.

I mean, the song we're going to play, if this existed in my freshman year of high school,

it would have been an incredible godstand for my grades.

It's Wednesday, December 4th, and it's also Science Friday.

I'm SciFry producer Kathleen Davis. In 2009, the band They Might Be Giants released an album called

Here Come Science. In it, they sing about the science of plasma, talk about what blood does in the body, and they sing an ode to the elements.

In this archival segment from 2009, Ira Flato is joined in studio by members of the band to discuss the album and play some songs.

Joining me now in the studio here in New York is John Linnell and John Flansberg, also on the drums, Marty Bellar in the background. We'll be playing a lot of music. Welcome to Science Friday. It's very exciting to be here. Why would you do songs about science? I mean, I thought only geeks like me like science. Because we're like you. Are you?

Do you let it?

Well, we love to, you know, this is really a big thrill for us because, you know, we've been listening to the show for a long time. It's like suddenly like we're inside the TV set or the radio. It's kind of trippy. Were you sciencey geeks when you're in school? Not exactly, no. I mean, it's actually a little bit of a stretch in a way for us to declare ourselves to be authorities on science. This is the Peter Principle in full blue. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. And you're stepping into a little quagmire by naming a song, science is real. There are a lot of people who don't believe science. Well, you see, that's not controversial for us. Not for you. No, no. But have you heard any reaction from people who say, well, why is... Well, you know, I don't think judging by YouTube flame comments,

you can really get an accurate gauge of what the... In general, it seems like people are actually

quite positive about the whole prospect.

But people we meet face to face are like you, pretty much.

Well, that's good.

Name the songs on the album.

Well, Meet the Elements, photosynthesis, my brother the ape.

I am a paleontologist.

Roy G. Biv, which is both the color spectrum, light spectrum. And I don't know, John, what are the kind of cells? Cells. Why does the sunshine? Yeah. Why is the sunshine? Speed and velocity. And now these all sound like kids' songs. Are these aimed at kids? Well, it's kind of a, it's sort of a mixed bag. There are some songs that are very simple that are, that are kind of, that are good for

little kids. Right. And then there are songs that are more fact-packed, that probably

would, you know, be a little bit too complicated for, for a toddler, but, you know, be a little bit too complicated for a toddler.

But, you know, if you're...

I mean, the song we're going to play...

...