The rhythm of biology

An art exhibit in New York City explores the science behind our reaction to sounds

Written byBob Grant
| 3 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
3:00
Share

If ever there were an interactive art/science show, BioRhythm: Music and the Body is it. The exhibition, which debuted in Dublin's Science Gallery last year, has traveled to the Big Apple as part of the 2011 World Science Festival, which runs through June 5th. Visitors to the Eyebeam gallery in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood will be treated to a cacophony of sound and sensation in the building's yawning main space. And they'll quickly discover that they're as much a part of the show as the artwork. Yesterday, I managed to sample a few of the interactive exhibits: I played a Theremin, the scienciest of all instruments; observed the physiology of a whimsical model of the human inner ear; listened to the output of an ear-mimicking, binaural microphone embedded in a sculpture of the human head; and made my own music by moving sensors around on the "Reactable," creating a symphony of ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.

    View Full Profile
Share
Illustration of a developing fetus surrounded by a clear fluid with a subtle yellow tinge, representing amniotic fluid.
January 2026

What Is the Amniotic Fluid Composed of?

The liquid world of fetal development provides a rich source of nutrition and protection tailored to meet the needs of the growing fetus.

View this Issue
Human-Relevant In Vitro Models Enable Predictive Drug Discovery

Advancing Drug Discovery with Complex Human In Vitro Models

Stemcell Technologies
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Beckman Coulter Logo
Conceptual multicolored vector image of cancer research, depicting various biomedical approaches to cancer therapy

Maximizing Cancer Research Model Systems

bioxcell

Products

Refeyn logo

Refeyn named in the Sunday Times 100 Tech list of the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies

Parse Logo

Parse Biosciences and Graph Therapeutics Partner to Build Large Functional Immune Perturbation Atlas

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological's Launch of SwiftFluo® TR-FRET Kits Pioneers a New Era in High-Throughout Kinase Inhibitor Screening

SPT Labtech Logo

SPT Labtech enables automated Twist Bioscience NGS library preparation workflows on SPT's firefly platform