Music is shaped by the science of sound. How can music - an artform - have anything to do with
science? Yet there are myriad ways in which the two are intertwined from the basics of music
theory and the design of instruments to hi-fi systems and how the brain processes music.
Science writer Andrew May traces the surprising connections between science and music from the
theory of sound waves to the way musicians use mathematical algorithms to create music. The
most obvious impact of science on music can be seen in the way electronic technology has
revolutionised how we create record and listen to music. Technology has also provided new
insights into the effects that different music has on the brain to the extent that some
algorithms can now predict our reactions with uncanny accuracy which raises a worrying
question: how long will it be before AI can create music on a par with humans?
