Why birds sing ....

[Paul mabbott]

BBC4 tonight (Wednesday) 9 pm and 12.20 am (2100 and 0020 hrs) 'Why Birds Sing' - by a musician/philosopher who believs that birds sing because they enjoy it - sounds interesting.

[Carl]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

BBC4 tonight (Wednesday) 9 pm and 12.20 am (2100 and 0020 hrs) 'Why Birds Sing' - by a musician/philosopher who believs that birds sing because they enjoy it - sounds interesting.

I Don`t i believe they sing as a way of talking and because they like it, and to wanr other birds.
But i`ll be watching rome so will miss it.

[eeyore]

everyone knows why bird sing - its because its a complete pain to play an instrument when you dont have hands

[GME]

Are you watching this!??

The guy (David) is sat in his undies on a bed making very strange noises!!!

The guy is bonkers!!

[agrumpycow]

Originally Posted by GME

Are you watching this!??
The guy (David) is sat in his undies on a bed making very strange noises!!!
The guy is bonkers!!

Yeah, saw that, I guess he must be being paid a lot of money, I can't think why else he is doing that! And did I miss something, why is he in his pants?!!!

[GME]

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

And did I miss something, why is he in his pants?!!!

I have no idea!!! They didn't explain the reasoning behind that one!! Or if they did I missed something too

[Paul mabbott]

Perhaps it's a Bernard Manning tribute .......

The Manchester Evening News has asked the great and the good of the
region for their Bernard Manning tributes. Boxer Ricky Hatton says:
"I'll never forget that day a couple of years ago when I went to
visit him and he was sat in his underpants drinking a cup of tea. He
went upstairs and I thought that it must be to put some clothes on,
but when he came back down he was carrying his old underpants and
wearing a new pair. He gave me the old pair which I put on and I
don't think that I've ever laughed as much as I did that afternoon."

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

.........., I can't think why else he is doing that! And did I miss something, why is he in his pants?!!!

[Ipso Facto]

Originally Posted by agrumpycow

Yeah, saw that, I guess he must be being paid a lot of money, I can't think why else he is doing that! And did I miss something, why is he in his pants?!!!

He was taking part in a video called "Dawn Chorus" hence he started in bed (or rather on bed) in his pants ... don't ask!

The clever bit was that they got him to sing along with a bird song that had been slowed down by a factor of 10 - that meant that he could keep up with the notes and reach the high ones. When the video was then played at 10x its normal speed he sounded like a bird and his mannerisms were similar - some may have called him a twitcher.

As I have said else where part of the programme was absolutely riviting ... other bits were just wierd ... I'll leave you to make your own mind up on this.

[The Black Rabbit]

I didn't see it until tonight. (It was repeated on BBC4).
It was a wonderful programme, highlighting the difficulties that artists (or anyone who is not a qualified scientist really), face when attempting to explain to scientists that statistical analysis of numbers gleaned through experimentation does not give answers to everything.
(ie science is not the answer to everything, and there are some things in life that cannot be tabulated or quantified).

Quote of the programme:

"Artists create beauty. Scientists just discover it."

I enjoyed it thoroughly.
TBR.

[NigelT]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

I didn't see it until tonight. (It was repeated on BBC4).
It was a wonderful programme, highlighting the difficulties that artists (or anyone who is not a qualified scientist really), face when attempting to explain to scientists that statistical analysis of numbers gleaned through experimentation does not give answers to everything.
(ie science is not the answer to everything, and there are some things in life that cannot be tabulated or quantified).

Quote of the programme:

"Artists create beauty. Scientists just discover it."

I enjoyed it thoroughly.
TBR.

I saw it too. Hmmm ! not sure about the conversation bit, but the concept that birds might sometimes sing for the hell of it might ring true.
When I watch gulls, crows and other large birds wheeling and diving around cliff tops without any apparant reason I feel that they are doing it for the enjoyment of it so why not song.

Oh. and I paint as well but don't think I am a nut case - well not COMPLETELY anyhow !

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by NigelT

I saw it too. Hmmm ! not sure about the conversation bit, but the concept that birds might sometimes sing for the hell of it might ring true.
When I watch gulls, crows and other large birds wheeling and diving around cliff tops without any apparant reason I feel that they are doing it for the enjoyment of it so why not song.

Oh. and I paint as well but don't think I am a nut case - well not COMPLETELY anyhow !

Not sure what conversation bit you are writing about Nigel?!
Yes I'm a scientist, but have always veered towards the artistic side of science. The trouble with that is, the huge majority of scientists are deeply offended by this.
Like you, I draw and paint also, and unlike most scientists, I hope at least, I appreciate many ways of looking at one subject, which are certainly NOT scientific.
This attitude is becoming a disease amongst a big part of the scientific community. A blinkered, beligerent view that science is king, and thats the end of the matter- this locks this wonderful subject into an intellectual closed clique of sorts.
There is no joy in it, no hope, no interest, no wonder - just dull, blinkered, intellectual arrogance.

Worse than all of this, it actually puts the next generation off getting involved and studying (what I consider anyway) to be the most fascinating, mysterious, beautiful subject of them all.
My girlfriend is a head of science at a local secondary school, and I hear year on year that more and more pupils are put off science by the 'geeks and nerds' (many writing books or appearing on television / media) who wish to keep science for themselves.
We will lose the ability (in future generations) to make fascinating new scientific discoveries if this continues - what an awful legacy our present generation of scientists will leave.

I put some of it down to jealousy. Scientists are governed by very stringent rules and procedures - whilst the artists have no such constraints.

Long live science, and long live art.

TBR.

(Blimey, that all just poured out of me this morning - I apologise, but its something I feel very passionate about).

[NigelT]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Not sure what conversation bit you are writing about Nigel?!
Yes I'm a scientist, but have always veered towards the artistic side of science. The trouble with that is, the huge majority of scientists are deeply offended by this.
Like you, I draw and paint also, and unlike most scientists, I hope at least, I appreciate many ways of looking at one subject, which are certainly NOT scientific.
This attitude is becoming a disease amongst a big part of the scientific community. A blinkered, beligerent view that science is king, and thats the end of the matter- this locks this wonderful subject into an intellectual closed clique of sorts.
There is no joy in it, no hope, no interest, no wonder - just dull, blinkered, intellectual arrogance.

Worse than all of this, it actually puts the next generation off getting involved and studying (what I consider anyway) to be the most fascinating, mysterious, beautiful subject of them all.
My girlfriend is a head of science at a local secondary school, and I hear year on year that more and more pupils are put off science by the 'geeks and nerds' (many writing books or appearing on television / media) who wish to keep science for themselves.
We will lose the ability (in future generations) to make fascinating new scientific discoveries if this continues - what an awful legacy our present generation of scientists will leave.

I put some of it down to jealousy. Scientists are governed by very stringent rules and procedures - whilst the artists have no such constraints.

Long live science, and long live art.

TBR.

(Blimey, that all just poured out of me this morning - I apologise, but its something I feel very passionate about).

Hi Black Rabbit

Its great to hear from a scientist who 'feels' never apologise for that, especially when you are a painter - that's why we paint surely. I work as an architect so I suppose I should appreciate these things but most in the industry don't seem to, nor understand let alone want to endorse it in design terms. ( see the bats bit I put in as explanation)

When I muse over a shaft of light catching some tree or somesuch and comment upon it or go ooh! at the sight of gannets diving into the sea, I sometimes think my wife thinks I am nuts !

I have just come back from a long weekend on the Pembrokeshire coast walking in the rain and wind. Lovely.

I saw walkers ignore seals. Walk past as I was looking at perigrines and choughs. All taking no notice whatsoever ! I can understand if people ignore a little bird such as a wheatear I saw because it is often fleeting and might not register and unless you knew what a chough looks like they could be mistaken for a crow, but two hovering perigrines just a few feet in the air above your head, seals bobbing up in pairs and threes ? ! What is the point of tearing around the cliffs and not seeing I thought !! Peoples attitude to nature never ceases to amaze me.

It's refreshing to exchange views with people of a similar attitude to nature and the environment and it gives one heart that there are people out their who care and this WaB site is full of us I find.