Twitch Censors Live Metallica Performance with Dorkiest Music Imaginable

In the year 2000, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich answered questions from Slashdot’s readers. Late Friday night, the AV Club described Metallica’s appearance at the opening ceremonies for the (now online) version of Blizzard Entertainment’s annual event BlizzCon: The opening ceremonies were being broadcast online, both through the official BlizzCon page, YouTube, and Twitch. And you know what happens when licensed music…

Happy birthday to Galileo, born February 15

One of our greatest astronomers, Galileo Galilei, was born February 15, 1564. His discoveries with the improved telescopes he made changed the way we view the universe – and got him in trouble with the church. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/galileos-birthday-feb-15-1564…

Listen to the oldest known conch shell horn from 18,000 years ago

An 18,000-year-old conch shell originally found in the Pyrenees mountains in 1931 may have been used as a musical instrument by Magdalenian people Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2267417-listen-to-the-oldest-known-conch-shell-horn-from-18000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

A 25-Year-Old Bet Comes Due: Has Tech Destroyed Society?

“Twenty five years ago I made a bet in the pages of Wired. It was a bet whether the world would collapse by the year 2020.” So writes the 68-year-old founding executive editor of Wired magazine, Kevin Kelly. He’d made the bet with a “Luddite-loving doomsayer,” according to Wired — author Kirkpatrick Sale. “Sale while a student in the 1950s co-wrote…

Hear the strange music of distant planetary system TOI-178

In the animation in this post, the rhythmic movement of newly discovered planets around the star TOI-178 is represented through a musical harmony, created by attributing a note (in the pentatonic scale) to each of the planets. Hear the music of these planets. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/star-system-tio-178-planets-in-resonance-orbits-cheops…

When will the Age of Aquarius begin?

Astronomers and astrologers may agree that the Age of Aquarius starts when the vernal equinox point moves out of constellation Pisces and into Aquarius. But when will that be? There’s no definitive answer. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/when-will-the-age-of-aquarius-begin…

The COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Would Make Illegal Streaming a Felony

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Hollywood Reporter: Providing relief via direct assistance and loans to struggling individuals and businesses hit hard by COVID-19 has been a priority for federal lawmakers this past month. But a gigantic spending bill has also become the opportunity to smuggle in some other line items including those of special interest to the entertainment…

This Robot Can Rap

What if your digital assistant could battle rap? That may sound far-fetched, but Gil Weinberg, a music technologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has adapted a musical robot called Shimon to compose lyrics and perform in real time. From a report: That means it can engage in rap “conversations” with humans, and maybe even help them compose their own lyrics….

Warner Bros. To Debut Entire 2021 Film Slate, Including ‘Dune’ and ‘Matrix 4,’ Both on HBO Max and In Theaters

When Warner Bros. announced that “Wonder Woman 1984” would land on the streaming service HBO Max on Christmas, the same time it debuts in theaters, many expected it to be an isolated case in response to an unprecedented pandemic. From a report: Instead, the studio will deploy a similar release strategy for the next twelve months. In a surprising break from…

Spotify Invents AI Tech That Will Police Songwriter Plagiarism

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Music Business Worldwide: According to a document published last week, Daniel Ek’s company is seeking a patent for its “Plagiarism Risk Detector And Interface” technology, which pertains to “Methods, systems and computer program products..for testing a lead sheet for plagiarism.” As explained in the filing — and as our songwriter/musician readers will already know…