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The cool red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, which is located some 40 light-years from Earth, was first discovered in 1999. Its seven known exoplanets, which are all close to Earth-like in size, were discovered in 2016 and 2017. In this video, the French American pianist Dan Tepfer harnesses what he calls the ‘unusually harmonious’ orbital ratios of these planets for a unique musical performance. He introduces the planets one at a time on his keyboard, with each body’s orbit captured in both the frequency and rhythm of the notes. As he plays, visuals of the star system and his accompanying improvisations swirl around the screen, making for a transfixing melding of art and science. For more from Tepfer, watch his work TriadSculpture.
Video by Dan Tepfer
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Biology
Brilliant dots of colour form exquisite patterns in this close-up of butterfly wings
3 minutes
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Anthropology
Does Mogi’s future lie with her horses on the Mongolian steppe, or in the city?
16 minutes
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Genetics
Why it took a century to work out that humans interbred with Neanderthals
22 minutes
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Art
The sprawling mural that depicts an unflinching people’s history of Los Angeles
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Art
In his poem ‘London’, William Blake crafted a bleak vision of the city he loved
9 minutes
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Evolution
How – and how not – to think about the role randomness plays in evolution
60 minutes
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Art
A prisoner in Guantánamo finds some escape in building intricate model ships
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Meaning and the good life
A Japanese religious community makes an unlikely home in the mountains of Colorado
9 minutes
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Sex and sexuality
From secret crushes to self-acceptance – a joyful chronicle of ‘old lesbian’ stories
29 minutes