Stem cells were grown and then connected to brass plates.

  • @communism@lemmy.ml
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    1483 days ago

    That’s a pretty misleading headline. The news article is about a cool art installation, in which an artist has used a deceased composer’s DNA to produce electrical signals that are interpreted as music. Still cool, but it’s not “composing music” in the same sense as the alive musician was composing music.

    • @bane_killgrind@slrpnk.net
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      232 days ago

      It’s about as close to composing as transcribing the twitches of someone with Parkinson’s.

      About as respectful as well, if the researcher is the person characterising this process as composing.

      • @communism@lemmy.ml
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        2 days ago

        It seems to be the journalist presenting it as such, but in any case, I don’t think the artists are suggesting it’s equivalent to what the guy made when he was alive. It’s an interesting artwork riffing off of the fact that the person whom the DNA belonged to was a musician. That also seems like a pretty disrespectful way to talk about people with Parkinson’s.

        • @bane_killgrind@slrpnk.net
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          32 days ago

          I’m referring to completely involuntary movements… Characterising any involuntary, debilitating phenomenon as intentional or artistic is gross.

          Characterising involuntary but normal phenomenon as intentional or artistic is maybe a little less gross, but still asinine.

          I understand why you think it’s offensive, that’s fine.

          • @communism@lemmy.ml
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            42 days ago

            I know what you mean; I think it would be hurtful to people with Parkinson’s, but whatever, I luckily don’t have Parkinson’s so not much point arguing it.

            Characterising involuntary but normal phenomenon as intentional or artistic is maybe a little less gross, but still asinine.

            That seems like a very bizarre take. Isn’t that a very common artistic device, to find creative interpretations of natural phenomena, and to imagine intention where there is none? I mean, art is subjective so maybe that’s just your personal taste, but it seems like a strange thing to be offended by to me.