Post by Andorinha on Jun 23, 2004 14:34:12 GMT -6
Tolkien caused his prime generator, Illuvatar, to use the device of "song" in bringing the universe that contained Arda and Middle-earth into existence. The three major themes sung out by the Ainur under Illuvatar's inspiring directions started out pure, sweet and harmonious, but soon fell into discordances, and eventual collapse. Perhaps an aspect of "applicability" may be injected here (only moderately "tongue-in-cheek") by pointing out an article by Mark Whittle, an astro-physicist at the University of Virginia. Apparently he has been able to record the "birth musics" of the Universe, and suitably manipulated with modern electronics, one may now listen to this celestial orchestration.
"Mark Whittle of the University of Virginia has analysed the so-called background radiation that was born 400,000 years after the Big Bang. Ripples in the radiation are like sound waves bouncing through the cosmos. Over the first million years the music of the cosmos changed from a bright major chord to a sombre minor one. ... These cosmic sound waves are 30,000 light-years wide and are 55 octaves below what humans can hear. But when they are shifted to regions of the audible spectrum, the cry from the birth of the cosmos can be heard. ... 'For the first 400,000 years it sounds like a scream declining to a dull roar,' says Professor Whittle. ... During the expanision there is a change in the frequencies of the sound waves that results in the characteristic sound of the Universe changing from a major third chord to a minor third. "Listening to it I have to say that the Universe is a lousy musical instrument," says Professor Whittle."
(see BBC News Online science, for the full article at:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3832711.stm )
Apparently, from Prof. Whittle's observations, only the discordances and disharmonies of Melkor have survived to be recorded for our listening "pleasure."
"Mark Whittle of the University of Virginia has analysed the so-called background radiation that was born 400,000 years after the Big Bang. Ripples in the radiation are like sound waves bouncing through the cosmos. Over the first million years the music of the cosmos changed from a bright major chord to a sombre minor one. ... These cosmic sound waves are 30,000 light-years wide and are 55 octaves below what humans can hear. But when they are shifted to regions of the audible spectrum, the cry from the birth of the cosmos can be heard. ... 'For the first 400,000 years it sounds like a scream declining to a dull roar,' says Professor Whittle. ... During the expanision there is a change in the frequencies of the sound waves that results in the characteristic sound of the Universe changing from a major third chord to a minor third. "Listening to it I have to say that the Universe is a lousy musical instrument," says Professor Whittle."
(see BBC News Online science, for the full article at:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3832711.stm )
Apparently, from Prof. Whittle's observations, only the discordances and disharmonies of Melkor have survived to be recorded for our listening "pleasure."
