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genemusic.pngThe Internet, in terms of world-changing technologies, is still in its infancy. Now gene2music raises the bar to new heights.
These characteristics of the Internet have forever changed the way we can communicate and learn:
– the wide availability of multi-media content widely available
– unlimited space for explanation
– the way that hyperlinks have the potential to connect and relate all forms of knowledge to each other
– the opportunity for any user to create content
But that’s just the beginning.
When I first started to study the communication, and then the marketing potential of the Internet nearly 20 years ago, I imagined that there would someday be a site that would find a phenomenal and completely new way to make learning complex information fun. Educational games and virtual worlds come close.
gene2music creates music by assigning notes to genetic matter. Not just a bunch of atonal notes: gene2music makes tunes. You can even convert your own genetic information to music.
The gene2music project’s magnificent goals:

“The primary goal of this work is to convert genome-encoded protein sequences into musical notes in order to hear auditory protein patterns.”

But it’s the second goal that altogether slays me:

“…we also aim to use this conversion to help make protein sequences more approachable and tangible for the general public and children. The project also opens opportunities for visually impaired scientists to access protein sequences more readily.”

The geniuses behind the project are Rie Takahashi, Jeffrey H. Miller , and Frank Pettit.
Just think: this should mean the end of boring chemistry classes forever. In about 20 years, maybe. But long before that, this site should stimulate much greater thinkers than I to new ways of looking at learning, and of combining tools we already have into wondrous new ones.
hat tip to the fabulous Judy Vorfeld