Science and Music

One of the lessons which we have studied for STS revolved around the concept of music and of science. It is not the standard combination which one is familiar with in popular culture; considering that we live in an era where music is heavily influenced by drugs, love, or sex. Music and science mixed together is bizarre. However, in light of the modern era, it has been observed that it is not altogether strange to consider science to have such an effect on music.  

For example, the theme song in the famous sitcom The Big Bang Theory which narrates the scientific origin of the universe, of matter,  and of human nature. Unexpectedly, the theme song of TBBT which can be regarded as a crash-course into Darwin’s theory of evolution* is actually quite catchy and popular. Personally, I have been an avid fan of TBBT since it was possible for me to download episodes of it through the net and TBBT’s theme song with its upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics was stuck in my mind for days.

 In addition, a famous Youtube video series, the Epic Rap Battles of History, is a clear-cut example of music which is heavily-laden with science and technology. In example, rap battles between Einstein and Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. What are present in these examples are the concept of music, as that which is under the category of Art, and the concept of science, as a system of knowledge separate from Art, being thrown together and thereby producing a strangely unique combination. Surprisingly, this combination is easily accepted in society and immediately became popular and widely-known. Who would have thought that science -which used to be boring and lacklustre can be as interesting as popular music? Not even I could’ve imagined it -until science and technology proved itself otherwise.

*Note: TBBT’s theme song represents only a linear representation of the history of the universe. There are other representations of the origin of the universe.

Xavier Noel Briones

2013-41022