The protein structure of the coronavirus has been sonified into a 2-hour mix
In case you were wondering what the deadly virus sounds like
For the record, we are as tired as you are with stories about the coronavirus. We all know what it looks like, but what if asked you what it sounds like? We thought it was painful and dark, and perhaps chaotic, but an engineer from MIT has proved us wrong when he sonified the components of the coronavirus into a tranquil and satisfying two-hour mix.
Markus J. Buehler, an engineering professor at MIT as well as a composer of experimental, classical and electronic music, has released a 110-minute mix that was sonified from the structure of the coronavirus. A computational algorithm, a new technique called sonification, translated the structure of the virus’s protein into music by breaking up the protein and assigning each amino acid a musical scale by which a multi-layered algorithmic composition was produced.
The mix is oddly tranquil and pleasant to the ear, instrumented by a 13-string Japanese koto, bells and flutes. The melodies are layered according to the cylindrical structure of the protein.
Have a listen below to what the coronavirus really sounds like below:
