Bill Nye the Science Guy: The Science of Music/Architecture

Whether it comes from Beethoven or Marilyn Manson, music (and I'm using the term advisedly here) consists of "patterns of vibrations in the air" that hit ye olde hammer & anvil setup in the inner ear, are passed on to vibrate the eardrum, and then converted into electrical signals that are relayed to the brain. In the case of Marilyn Manson, of course, the signal is quickly processed and redirected to the speech center, where it cues the vocal cords to emit a loud scream to the temporarily insane offspring: namely, "turn that noise down!" (In all fairness, the offspring thinks the same thing when the parents decide to do an impromptu high decibel tango to Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)." In The Science of Music, the first entry on this two-program set (the second is Architecture), viewers will be regaled with characteristically excellent and fun introductions to sound waves, pitch, rhythm, and musical notation (courtesy of Kenny G), as well as samples of music from around the world and a couple of handy dandy do-try-this-at-home science experiments. Boasting 20 Emmys and a slew of other awards, Bill Nye the Science Guy (for other reviews, see VL-9/95, VL-3/97, and VL-1/98) remains the gold standard for cool science shows. With Disney Educational Productions' release of Bill Nye the Science Guy Sampler VI, which features the final ten episodes (on five videocassettes) of the acclaimed show, all 100 episodes are now available (series price: 50 videocassettes for $1,549--or roughly $15 per episode!). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: E, I, J, P. (R. Pitman)