More proof science fiction is prophetic. “The Jazz” by Melissa Scott.
Technology is continually getting better at predicting our behavior, and signaling to us that perhaps we’re not as unpredictable and free-willed as we humans like to think. Software can predict where crimes are going to happen, scanners can guess what products we like based on what we look like, and brain scanners can eavesdrop on our inner dialogue just by reading our brain activity. One could plausibly argue that the aspect of human nature least likely to be called formulaic is artistic creation, such as making music. Researchers at the University of Bristol, however, want to turn our inspired musical notes into cold, calculated plusses and minuses. They’ve come up with an equation that predicts whether or not a song will become a hit. True reductionists that they are, the scientists plan to use the equation, not only for prediction, but eventually for production.
(via npr)
