As much as our 'Project Calliope' satellite is a science project, it's also a music experiment. We are, after all, flying scientific instruments on a picosatellite specifically to make music. So it's worth pointing out another group that is doing neat things with music invention, in this report on Berlin Hackday
Their tag line is "take a weekend, and make something". Quoth the article:
Among the projects: a beautiful, elegant 3D sequencer, a fun bird-and-sky multitouch soundmaker with multitouch trackpad input, and a robotic xylophone controlled by monome. Someone even worked out a way to turn NI’s Maschine into a rhythm game, complete with Street Fighter sounds.
It's worth reading their article, even if (like me) you don't understand 100% of the music jargon or tech involved. What it shows is creativity is alive in the arts and sciences.
Not everyone has to launch a satellite (or a high altitude balloon, or an model airplane that flies to 7,000 feet). It's just good to live in an era where you can enjoy Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects. So next weekend-- build something. Or go hiking. Or write something. Or cook. Just choose to create.
Alex, the daytime astronomer
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