spider music
The humble spider has always been well represented in the musical world, from Ziggy Stardust to the Who and Wilco. For too long, though, we’ve refused to let them relate their experiences to us more directly. That’s now changed, thanks to the work of scientists who are turning spiders’ vibration-based perceptions into music.
Vice recently profiled the work of MIT engineering professor Markus Buehler, who leads a team that’s working to translate web vibrations into sounds we can actually hear. The project uses “the physics of spiderwebs to assign audible tones to a given string’s unique tension and vibration” through a process called data sonification.
The resulting models can be explored through virtual reality software or listened to via examples recorded by Buehler and his collaborator Tomas Saraceno. The music created by manipulating the models is incredible—an eerie approximation of how spiders understand their environments.
Buehler says that the project’s goal is both to “expand how we generate sound in music and how we compose music” and to practically demonstrate how “for something like a spider, there’s a whole different way of experiencing the world.”
“Researchers say the project could eventually be used to reverse engineer spiders’ reality and communicate with the arachnids,” Vice explains, somewhat ominously. Buehler elaborates, saying that he’s planning to play AI-generated spider sounds to the creatures and “gauge [their] reactions.”
For more on Markus Buehler And The Spiders From Earth, read the full article.
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“is there anything more beautiful and protective than the simple complexity of a spider’s web?”
-e.b. white, Charlotte’s Web
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source credits: Reid McCarter, Michelle Bender, Vice
Very interesting
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It is –
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👍
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And very amazing too. 🙂
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So amazing
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Yup.
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We still have so much to learn about the world we share. And science has always been our path to enlightenment. Great post, Beth!
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We only know such a small bit- tip of the iceberg
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That is so interesting.
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I was fascinated by it
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And I though it was a ‘bug’ in my keyboard making those perculiar noises … but no … It’s a spider playing Mozart on a minute piano inside my computer … wow Beth .. this is both a relief and a musical breakthrough …
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Yes,kind of mind-blowing
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I’ve long been fascinated with spiders, Beth — and may have one more to add to the trove tomorrow 🙂
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Excellent
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Thank you for putting Bowie’s ‘Ziggy played guitar’ lyric in my brain this morning, Beth.
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My pleasure, haven’t thought about that one on a long time
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WOW! I am going to share this, how cool…thanks so much for this! The meticulous design of a spider web is a wonder of nature!
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It is fascinating!
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Reblogged this on johnrieber and commented:
Yes, Scientists have turned the spider’s web into music…incredible!
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Ty!
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Very interesting. It seems that I have read of this before. Either way, I can’t imagine why there would not be music created within the web. They are a form of threads, strings taught enough when moved, make sound, why should a web not? In my head I am seeing the scene from Close Encounters where the tones are played in communication. I think communicating with spiders is not impossible nor improbable.
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It all makes sense
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Incredible and wonderful.
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Yes, to both
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Spiders really do rock! I used to have a writing spider who every spring would spin a web by the door. Or its offspring, perhaps. I’m not sure, but I miss them.
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Maybe they’ll come back
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Well…if plants can make music, why not spiders?
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Exactly!
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I’m intrigued that anyone even conceived such an idea, much less put it into practice.
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Amazing on every level
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This is really interesting.
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So much so
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this was fascinating. I went to the link you provided and listened to one of the videos. It reminded me of music you would hear in a horror movie – perhaps fitting for music from spiders… 🙂
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I was thinking the exorcist kind of bells and chimes
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that’s an even better description; kind of creepy music…
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thanks, though i know people have had very different reactions to it –
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that’s the beauty of music…
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Fantastic. All is vibration, all is music. I love this post, Beth.
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All IS vibration.
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Indeed.
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yes –
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thanks, i found it so interesting –
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Welcome. Is, for sure.
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This is right up my alley, Beth! I am going to reblog it to Nature-led.org (I almost wrote “Nature-web.”) Also, no one has commented that the scientist has the unfortunate last name of “Buehler” as in “Ferris Buehler’s Day Off.” This Buehler was busy playing with spiders.
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thank you for that, i’m glad you enjoyed it. funny, i thought about the ‘buehler’ thing too, i’ll never get that voice out of my head…)
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Reblogged this on The Nature-led Life and commented:
Here’s a quick link to what I would call “Tim Burton-esque” spider music video. https://youtu.be/s4QtAQhdU2I
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thanks, melanie -)
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Reblogged this on History of Sorts.
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ty)
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E.B. White, you are so right!
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he knew what was up with spiders
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Yes, he did!
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Interesting indeed.
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I found it fascinating
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Wow. Fascinating.
(But I still don’t like spiders.) 🙂
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Same )
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Wow thats so amazing 😍
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It really is !
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Yes 😁
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Interesting and sensational if I must say…
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Yes!
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😁😁
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It’s quite fascinating ☺️
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it really is –
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Awesome post
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thanks, sol – I found it fascinating
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