this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2025
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Stem cells were grown and then connected to brass plates.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

One day we will have the means to reverse every death

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I certainly hope so! I have too much to do for just one life!

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Storm of lying clickbait titles today.

[–] [email protected] 149 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's a pretty misleading headline. The news article is about a cool art installation, in which an artist has used a deceased composer's DNA to produce electrical signals that are interpreted as music. Still cool, but it's not "composing music" in the same sense as the alive musician was composing music.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's about as close to composing as transcribing the twitches of someone with Parkinson's.

About as respectful as well, if the researcher is the person characterising this process as composing.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

It seems to be the journalist presenting it as such, but in any case, I don't think the artists are suggesting it's equivalent to what the guy made when he was alive. It's an interesting artwork riffing off of the fact that the person whom the DNA belonged to was a musician. That also seems like a pretty disrespectful way to talk about people with Parkinson's.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm referring to completely involuntary movements... Characterising any involuntary, debilitating phenomenon as intentional or artistic is gross.

Characterising involuntary but normal phenomenon as intentional or artistic is maybe a little less gross, but still asinine.

I understand why you think it's offensive, that's fine.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I know what you mean; I think it would be hurtful to people with Parkinson's, but whatever, I luckily don't have Parkinson's so not much point arguing it.

Characterising involuntary but normal phenomenon as intentional or artistic is maybe a little less gross, but still asinine.

That seems like a very bizarre take. Isn't that a very common artistic device, to find creative interpretations of natural phenomena, and to imagine intention where there is none? I mean, art is subjective so maybe that's just your personal taste, but it seems like a strange thing to be offended by to me.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Interpretations are intentional, transformative etc.

Automating that is not.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How is it not transformative and intentional to reinterpret neurological signals as music?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The researchers are doing the composing, not the organoid. The organoid is just existing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Okay...? Your point?

[–] [email protected] 60 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

They grew a brain organoid from his donated blood white cells that they turned into stem cells. The brain organoid produces electric impulses because that's what brain cells do. They made something artsy out of those impulses. So it's completely unrelated to whatever experience the musician could have had. DNA doesn't store acquired skills nor life memories. They could do that with anyone's cells and probably get a similar result.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

. DNA doesn’t store acquired skills nor life memories

Assassin's Creed wouldn't lie to me would it?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah, this was cool until all the steps show it's not "his brain". It's a genetic facsimile.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago

Not even a facsimile, just a thing which shares the same genetic code and doesn't resemble his developed brain in any but the most basic ways.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

What could go wrong? /s * anguished screaming SFX *

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Has anyone seen the show “Pantheon“? This is getting close to it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago

This sounds like chatGPT with extra steps and body horror.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

Shhhh! Don't interrupt him, he's decomposing.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I notice they didn’t say it was any good.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The original musician was crap, so it tracks.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

i would not call Lucier a musican, but i do find some of his sound art interesting. 'I am sitting in a room' can be kinda meditative in an interesting way

[–] [email protected] 74 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Some brain cells cobbled together from stem cells that have his DNA. None of the life experiences that made his music. You could likely get similar results with the same technique using the DNA of any random person on the street.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago

You're telling me you used an Abnormal brain?

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago (1 children)

More like 'decomposing', amirite, guys?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Read it the first time as "composting"

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