Additional Thematic Activities Listening to Supernovas
Supernova explosions are some of the most energetic events in the cosmos, often shining more brightly than entire galaxies and during these events the naturally occurring chemical elements above Iron in the periodic table are generated in the intense heat of the explosion and then dispersed into the surrounding cosmos. Without these processes, the chemistry of Life as we know it would not be possible. However, as humankind is separated from such events by millions of light years, they generate no sound waves in our direction.
To make music from these events Trevor Wishart has mapped the changing electro-magnetic spectrum into the audible sound spectrum, so that we can hear the supernova explosion as a sonic event. The composer will describe how he went about this mapping process, and some of the difficulties encountered en route.
The result is an 8-channel sound-surround event in which 68 days of supernova activity are mapped into 9 minutes of music. The piece concludes with sounds generated, in a similar way, from the light-spectra of various chemical elements, often ringing like bells in the musical space.
Supernova is the outcome of a research project at the University of Oxford, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, to investigate ways in which scientific research and data might be combined with musical composition to create new works.
This event is open to all. See details at the end of the programme.
To The Lighthouse – an experiment in interdisciplinary creativity
What does a lighthouse do, and how does it do it? What does it mean, and how does it mean it? What happens when we think about these questions from different disciplinary perspectives? And how does sharing these perspectives ‘enlighten’ our thinking?
Working with its Light theme Fellows and a public audience, the IAS will host an informal experiment in interdisciplinary creativity. IAS Fellows will discuss how they would examine a lighthouse analytically from their particular disciplinary perspective and consider how each viewpoint might inform others. The audience will also be invited to contribute ideas and discussion will be facilitatedby IAS Directors. The aim of this event is to construct, onthe spot, an interdisciplinary account of what a lighthouse is, and how we might think differently about it through this collaborative comparison.
This public event is free and open to all. For further details contact:
enquiries.ias@durham.ac.uk.
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