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‘Activating Memory’ is a composition for a string quartet with each of the instruments’ parts generated through a Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (BCMI) program. This program directly accesses the brain via electroencephalogram (EEG) technology, allowing four severely motor-impaired people to create the musical piece in real-time by choosing between four different musical phrases. This unique project was spearheaded by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR) at Plymouth University led by the composer Eduardo Reck Miranda. Heartwarming and fascinating in equal measure, Paramusical Ensemble captures the first public performance of ‘Activating Memory’ at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London, and explores how emerging brain-computer interface technologies could help those who are unable to walk, move or speak to reconnect and communicate with others, including through creative expression.
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Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
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Architecture
West Africa was once an architectural laboratory. Is it time for a revival?
12 minutes
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Work
A Swedish expat in the Philippines wonders: what’s up with people sleeping at work?
14 minutes
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Biography and memoir
The unique life philosophy of Abdi, born in Somalia, living in the Netherlands
29 minutes
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Cognition and intelligence
What’s this buzz about bees having culture? Inside a groundbreaking experiment
8 minutes
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Earth science and climate
The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact
22 minutes
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Art
‘If you’re creative, why can’t you create a solution?’ One artist’s imaginative activism
17 minutes
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The ancient world
An ancient Roman’s hilarious (and perhaps relatable) response to a social snub
2 minutes
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Death
A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal
6 minutes