Sing for Science
Talkhouse
Sing For Science is a science-and-music podcast where musicians sit down with scientists to explore the scientific ideas hidden in their most iconic songs. Listen to JD from Korn talk about “Dead Bodies Everywhere” with a mortuary-science expert, Sia explore one of her breakup ballads with an attachment-theory psychologist, and many, many more. Created and hosted by New York musician Matt Whyte, the show seeks to uncover connections wherever they may exist and build bridges between seemingly disparate voices, styles, and walks of life. Sing For Science is made possible in part by a grant from the Simons Foundation.
New episodes release every two weeks—subscribe now. Want to catch a live Sing For Science taping in your city? Sign up for our newsletter at SingForScience.org to be the first to know.
New episodes release every two weeks—subscribe now. Want to catch a live Sing For Science taping in your city? Sign up for our newsletter at SingForScience.org to be the first to know.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 3, 2024 • 42min
LABS: José González and Dr. Brian Cox on Secular Humanism
Swedish Argentine folk singer José Gonzalez returns to the show along with our only other repeat guest, physicist Dr. Brian Cox of BBC and CERN fame. The two talk about secular humanism, atheism, finding meaning, black holes, Carl Sagan and more!
Mar 13, 2024 • 38min
Sid Sriram: Blue Spaces (Color Neuroscience with Bevil Conway)
Recorded live at 2024 On Air Fest in Brooklyn, NY: Indian Carnatic superstar Sid Sriram talks about his song “Blue Spaces” with visual neuroscientist/color expert, Dr. Bevil Conway. We talk about Sid’s personal and cultural associations with color, cultural appropriation, the brain’s visual system, “the dress” from 2015 which some saw as blue and black and others as white and gold, the subjectivity and illusory nature of color perception and more!
Feb 21, 2024 • 1h 11min
LABS: Bethany Cosentino and Lisa Marchiano on Jungian Analysis
Best Coast lead singer and Jungian analysand, Bethany Cosentino and “This Jungian Life Podcast" host Lisa Marchiano do a deep dive on you guessed it…Jungian Analysis! We cover dream analysis, the unconscious, creativity, archetypes, personae and then some!
Jan 31, 2024 • 42min
Spyro Gyra: Catching The Sun (Harmful Algal Blooms with Holly Waterfield)
Spyro Gyra co-founder Jeremy Wall talks about the height of the jazz fusion era, composing and about about the ins and outs of lake formation, spirogyra algae, harmful algal blooms or HABS and more with lake ecologist, Holly Waterfield. This episode was co-produced with the AJ Reid Science Discovery Center at SUNY Oneonta where it was taped in front of a live audience on December 6, 2023.
Jan 10, 2024 • 43min
Sheila E: The Glamorous Life (Rhythm Neuroscience with Hugo Merchant)
Queen of Percussion and Prince collaborator Sheila E talks about her 1984 hit, working with Prince, salsa music and learning from her legendary father with University of Mexico Neuroscientist, Dr. Hugo Merchant. Hugo shares fascinating findings about how the mechanisms in the brain process rhythm and help us keep a beat.
Dec 20, 2023 • 57min
Encore: MGMT: A Family of Trees (Forest Ecology with Suzanne Simard)
A FAMILY OF TREES: UNCOVERING NETWORKS IN OUR FORESTS' UNDERSTORY with Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser of MGMT and Dr. Suzanne Simard, forest ecology professor.In this episode we discuss:- how trees communicate with one another- the folly of industrialized logging- how trees help other trees- Native American ancestral DNA in cedar- where to buy mushrooms in Connecticut
Nov 29, 2023 • 44min
Cat Power: Cat Power Sings Dylan (Nostalgia Neuroscience with Hetvi Doshi)
Chanteuse Chan Marshall, best known as the artist Cat Power talks about her recreation of the historic 1966 Bob Dylan concert album at the Royal Albert Hall with Cornell University neuroscientist and nostalgia expert, Hetvi Doshi. We cover the origins of nostalgia study, the growing body of scientific evidence that suggests nostalgia has health benefits and improves social cohesion with one another. We also talk about the dynamics of food nostalgia and Hetvi’s community nostalgia initiative. For more information on Cat Power’s tour and Hetvi’s work please visit catpowermusic.com, hetvidoshi.com, aclab.human.cornell.edu, and thecommunitynostalgiaproject.com.
Oct 18, 2023 • 40min
Encore: Mac DeMarco: Chamber of Reflection (Acoustics with Russ Berger)
MAC DEMARCO: CHAMBER OF REFLECTION: UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE OF SOUND withMac DeMarco and Russ Berger, acoustician.In this episode we discuss:- what sound is- how speakers work- how sound affects the human body- how the brain interprets sound in a space- Astronautical elimination
Sep 27, 2023 • 38min
Ice Nine Kills: Hip To Be Scared (Horror Movie Science with Sarah Rose Cavanagh)
Recorded live at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, MA on 9/18/23: Heavy Metal frontman and horror movie expert Spencer Charnas chats with psychologist Dr. Sarah Rose Cavanagh about his favorite horror movies, why we like to be scared, the difference between fictional and real violence, monster theory, recreational fear lab research and more.
Sep 27, 2023 • 22min
Ice Nine Kills (Audience Q&A MIT Museum Taping)
Spencer and Sarah field questions aplenty from the sold out crowd at the MIT Museum on 9/18/23. Lots of territory covered including favorite on-screen monsters, what we fear most, scary music, and how to take a class with Sarah in Boston.
