Can we hear the cosmos? Exploring the ancient and modern music of the spheres.
In short: Professors Chris Lintott and Milton Mermikides examine the historical intersection of astronomy and music. From ancient philosophical theories of celestial harmony to modern astro-sonification, they demonstrate how we translate complex astronomical data into sound.
The lecture traces the long-standing intellectual tradition linking celestial mechanics to musical theory. It revisits Pythagoras’s belief in the parallelism between tuning purity and planetary movement, Plato’s concept of cosmic harmony in Timaeus, and Kepler’s interpretation of orbital eccentricity as musical scales. The discussion also highlights Herschel’s efforts to blend cosmology with music, noting the tendency of stable planetary systems to settle into harmonic ratios.
Beyond history, the presenters explore the contemporary field of astro-sonification. By converting astronomical patterns—such as black hole radiation and exoplanetary systems—into sound, researchers can better search for and communicate complex data. The lecture was recorded on 29th June 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London, as the final installment of the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Remixing the Music of the Spheres - Milton Mermikides and Chris Lintott
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