The Music of Physics | StarTalk

now it turns out there happens to be a
guy out there who wrote an entire book
on the connection between physics and
music an entire book his name is Stefan
Alexander and he’s standing by right now
live on video call you guys you have him
Oh Stefan hello and yeah what’s up hey
well welcome to Startalk hey get to be
here yes so you wrote a book the jazz of
physics Stephon Alexander the secret
link between music and the structure of
the universe that’s the kind of that’s
it that’s it that’s a that’s a title
right there but what I want to know is
is there something about physics that
you can tell me so that henceforth I
will always think of jazz when I
encounter it I can give you one cool
example and it has to do with
improvisation so what an improviser has
to do is spontaneously create something
cool while the music is going on while
the chords are changing and different
jazz musicians have different strategies
for doing that and one thing I
discovered is the idea of target and
note so for example if I start off on
the G and some bars later I end up with
a D that’s sort of the beginning point
and the end point and in between target
in those two notes meaning the end point
note in G I can imagine playing many
different paths many different notes and
that’s a very you know good analogy to
Finance conception of quantum mechanics
do you have the sex in arms reach maybe
you can play sort of a particle
improvisation for us just briefly sure I
can try something on a second okay we’re
ready for you go guys I just got off the
plane okay so
how’s that nice alright