A Little Animal Delight !
Sent by John...Thanks !
Making Music by the Mind
"We’ve all had moments where we heard a song playing in our heads. Now a new technology allows our brains to go a step further and perform music simply by thinking.
The brain-computer interface, developed by Eduardo Miranda of the University of Plymouth, UK , is similar to other “mind reading” devices that have enabled users to type out messages and drive cars literally without lifting a finger."
via smartplanet.com
Music Of The Mind is a truly unique project, combining performance theatre & scientific experimentation utilising pioneering state-of-the-art “brain-computer interface” technology for this literally mind-blowing event!
"Brains put out electrical waves. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some day it were possible to do away with lines in music, such as writing it out and playing the notes. You'll just be able to think it.” Raymond Scott, 1949
via youtube.com
Mind Map Art by Margaret Brandman
According to the Department of Homeland Security...
“Because of the strains that come with an emergency response job, we are interested in finding ways to help these workers remain at the top of their game when working and get quality rest when they go off a shift,” said Department of Homeland Security Program Manager Robert Burns. “Our goal is to find new ways to help first responders perform at the highest level possible, without increasing tasks, training, or stress levels.”
If the brain “composes” the music, the first job of scientists is to take down the notes. Each recording is converted into two unique musical compositions designed to trigger the body’s natural responses, for example, by improving productivity while at work, or helping adjust to constantly changing work hours. The compositions are clinically shown to promote one of two mental states in each individual: relaxation – for reduced stress and improved sleep; and alertness – for improved concentration and decision-making.
Each 2–6 minute track is a composition performed on a single instrument, usually a piano. The relaxation track may sound like a “melodic, subdued Chopin sonata,” while the alertness track may have “more of a Mozart sound,” according to Burns. (It seems there’s a classical genius—or maybe two genii—in all of us.) Listen to an example of an instrumental alert track.
The Lost World : The Floating Island of Mount Roraima
"It might look like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie, but this natural wonder is completely real, and fully awe inspiring. Mount Roraima, bordered by three different countries (Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana) whose border lines intersect on the massive shelf, is surrounded on all four sides by sheer 400-meter high cliffs. While its cliff walls are only scalable by the most experienced of climbers, there is a hiking path up the mountain’s natural ramp-like path (usually a two-day hike).
However, the mountain is worth a visit for more reasons than its impressive cliffs. Mount Roraima, part of Venezuela's 30000-square-kilometer Canaima National Park, is the site of the highest peak of the country of Guyana’s Highland Range. The mountains of this range, including Roraima, are considered to be some of the oldest geological formations known, some dating back to two-billion years ago. Its near daily rains have also created a unique ecosystem which includes several endemic species, including a unique carnivorous pitcher plant, and some of the highest waterfalls in the world.
via atlasobscura.com
via youtube.com
via youtube.com
"Culturally, the mountain has long held significance to the indigenous people of the area and features prominently in their myths and folklore. It was also the inspiration for the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, The Lost World as well as for Paradise Falls in the 2009 Pixar film, Up"