Music Matters

(Photo: Taken during the break in the back room at Howlin’ Wolf in New Orleans. The Hot 8 were playing late into the night – super loud and energetic in the tiny space – and it was great. A really classic New Orleans sound.)

Having returned from the (excellent) New Orleans trip (lots of food, lots of music), I started to turn my attention to things like the final preparations for the Science Film Competition – the submissions are due Monday and the showcase is on the 23rd – and preparations for the lecture course on Electromagnetism I’ll be giving, starting Monday. But then I got hit by a virus, and yesterday was lost to the violent swings between freezing cold and boiling hot that accompanies an intense shivering fever. Apparently there is a serious flu going around, and I suppose travelling by air (including changing planes and so forth) is a great way of enhancing one’s chances of getting infected… I’m a bit better today (but feeling as weak as a new born kitten), but will remain locked away from the wider world for another 24 hours just to make sure I don’t infect people, or have a relapse.

Speaking of music, I should mention that K C Cole has started up Categorically Not! again, and the one on Sunday is about Music and Science. It is called “Science Sings!” this time, and you can come and enjoy hearing about the work of biochemist and classical guitarist John Olson and actress, soprano and “recovering mathematician” Gioia de Cari – they will also perform some musical numbers about or inspired by scientific topics. Categorically Not! has a new website, and so you can check out the details yourself by going there and looking at the upcoming events section.

-cvj