Quantum Cello

How did it get to be the 20th? I don't understand.

So, I was going through my Radio Lab podcasts this weekend (for any of you haven't heard of Radiolab, download it through iTunes. Now. I'll wait.) and realized how amazing this show is. Their little blurb reads, "Radiolab believes your ears are a portal to another world. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience. Big questions are investigated, tinkered with, and encouraged to grow. Bring your curiosity, and we'll feed it with possibility."

My little blurb reads, "Radiolab takes extraordinary, fundamental ideas and assumptions and rotates everything 180 degrees. Why talk about city planning with architects when you can talk about it with ant specialists and musicians? Why not delve full-tilt into a story about letters found on the side of the road to try and understand forensics and genetics? Art, science, religion, philosophy, mathematics, life. It's all here, waiting to be discovered."

But I especially want to talk about a podcast I listened to this weekend. It's not new - in fact, it came out almost a year ago. But it's beautiful. A cellist named Zoe Keating uses computers to record herself and loops them back through so that she can literally make up an entire cello section with just one instrument. She hits and plucks and bangs the cello to create rhythm, new sounds and extraordinary music. Here is the podcast online. If you just want to listen to the music, that starts at 5:45.

I can't stop listening to these songs. Which is another topic that Radiolab delves into. You should listen to that podcast too. But Zoe Keating first. You'll never hear a cello the same way again.