Here's the most mind-bending story you'll read today — a uniquely strange intersection of art, music, and science.
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Alvin Lucier was an American composer who explored the world of sound through extraordinary works.
He passed away in 2021 after a prolonged battle with Parkinson's disease.
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Before his death, he donated a blood sample containing his genetic code.
A team of researchers used these cells to convert them into stem cells, which were then used to grow a "mini brain" in the laboratory — a cluster of functional brain cells and neurons.
These brain cells were connected via an electrode array to 20 metal plates fitted with a hammer and amplifier.
When the brain cells generate electrical signals, the system converts them into sound.
The brain cells also "listen" through microphones, so sounds from the surrounding environment influence the sound that is produced.
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The installation is called *Revivification* and is open to visitors at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Beyond the impressive scientific achievement, the project also touches on fascinating philosophical questions.
Does art created outside the artist's body still belong to them?
Does the fact that these brain cells originate from the artist's body truly make them a part of him?
Can art that creates itself still be called art?
The installation doesn't answer these questions — but it certainly succeeds in provoking thought about them.