Antonio Vivaldi's Music - From Violins 300 Years Ago to Rock Bands Today!

Antonio Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons music about 300 years ago.

People are still playing this wonderful music today in many ways, from classical music with violins to rock versions with electric guitars and drums. 

This is a very fast, lively part of "Summer" from The Four Seasons. This part reminds me of the stormy weather in summer:

Here is a modern version of the same fast part of "Summer" on an electric guitar:

Here is a classical orchestra playing a fast part of "Winter":

Here is the same part of "Winter" played on an electric guitar:

A modern "Goth" rock band playing "Winter" - electric violin, electric guitar and drums!

More electric guitar - "Winter" - click

Here is the complete Four Seasons played by a classical orchestra. Sometimes lively, sometimes very fast, sometimes slow, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet.  A great and very popular piece of music.

These are the parts of The Four Seasons:

Musical terms for the speed of the music (the "tempo"): Allegro – fast, quickly and bright (109–132 beats per minute) Presto – extremely fast (168–177 BPM) Largo - slow (40 - 60 BPM) Adagio - slow (66 - 76 BPM) Non molto - quick but not very fast

Spring Spring Movement 1 (Allegro) - 0:04 Spring Movement 2 (Largo) - 3:31 Spring Movement 3 (Allegro) - 6:02 Summer

Summer Movement 1 (Allegro non molto) - 10:22 Summer Movement 2 (Adagio) - 15:41 Summer Movement 3 (Presto) - 17:54

Autumn Autumn Movement 1 (Allegro) - 21:01 Autumn Movement 2 (Adagio molto) - 26:10 Autumn Movement 3 (Allegro) - 28:41 Winter Winter Movement 1 (Allegro non molto) - 32:05 Winter Movement 2 (Largo) - 35:21 Winter Movement 3 (Allegro) - 37:00

Learn About the Life of Vivaldi - Click

More on Vivaldi Here

These drawings were made by Onfim, a 7-year-old boy in the 13th century

Bark of the birch tree

In the 1950s archeologists made a big discovery near the city of Novgorod, Russia: hundreds of manuscripts written on birch bark. Most of them were letters or notes, but among them was a series of unusual sketches. The sketches, remarkably well-preserved due to the anaerobic (low-oxygen) conditions of the soil, have a distinctive charm and childish fantasy.

The drawings belong to Onfim — we know this because one of the drawings features the name written next to a knight on a horse, stabbing someone on the ground with a lance. Researchers believe Onfim must have been six or seven by the way he was writing and drawing.

Onfim’s illustrations include pictures of knights, horses, arrows, and foes. In particular, one image of “himself, disguised as a fantastic animal” features an imaginary creature with a long neck, curly tail, and pointy ears. There’s a text box saying “I am a wild beast” (the text in the box says “Greetings from Onfim to Danilo”, likely a friend or classmate of Onfim). Curiously, the fingers on the characters he draws vary, suggesting that the boy hadn’t yet learned how to count.

However, the significance of Onfim’s drawings extends beyond their immediate charm. They are invaluable to historians and archaeologists because they offer a rare, personal glimpse into the life of a medieval child. Unlike other historical records, which often focus on adults and significant events, these doodles provide a bottom-up perspective of history. They highlight the universality of childhood and the timeless nature of imagination and learning.

Novgorod (pink area at top) and other countries around the year 1250

The boy lived in Novgorod, now known as Veliky Novgorod, which at the time was the capital of the Novgorod Republic. Novgorod in the 13th century was a thriving center of trade, culture, and learning. It was part of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns. It also had an unusually high level of literacy. The educational system applied to both sexes and different classes, which was remarkable for the time.

So, Onfim was taking part in this educational system and was practicing his alphabet, repeating syllables, and writing texts that would be familiar to him (oftentimes, these texts would be religious psalms, which were commonly studied at the time).

To continue reading, click on this link:  https://www.zmescience.com/science/archaeology/drawings-onfim-novgorod/

Cats or Dogs? Which Are Better for Your Health?

Dogs and cats and cardiovascular (heart) health — what does the science say?

Heart disease is a general term that includes many types of heart problems. Heart disease also called cardiovascular disease, which means heart and blood vessel disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in many countries, but there are ways to prevent and manage many types of heart disease.

In an article published on 12 May 2023 in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Katharine M Watson, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, and colleagues studied 6,632 US adults aged 40 years and older, those who were 40 to 64 years of age and who owned only a cat had lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), compared with dog-only owners. The highest risk of CVD occurred in participants aged 65 years or older who did not own a pet.

So, that’s one point for cats, though dogs were still better than no pet at all. On the other hand, participants aged 65 years or more and who owned both a dog and a cat were most protected against CVD. So, that’s a huge vote for having both. The authors suggested that owning both a cat and a dog may be protective in adults aged 65 years or more due to decreased feelings of social isolation and loneliness.

Click on this link to continue reading:
 https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/which-is-better-for-your-health-dogs-or-cats-or-both/

Just for fun!

Some People Are Buying "Dumbphones" to Reduce Screen Time

Our world is dominated by smartphones and constant connectivity. Yet, a surprising trend is emerging: the return of the “dumbphone.” A growing number of adults and teenagers are trading in their sophisticated devices for simpler models, hoping to reclaim their time and attention from the addictive pull of screens. This shift is not about a nostalgic nod to the past but a conscious choice to address mounting concerns about mental health and digital addiction.

Click this link to continue reading: https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/gen-z-are-buying-dumbphones-to-limit-screen-time/

Outer Space Isn't Really Empty

What comes to mind when you think of space? Imagine a friend boasting about a spacious building, stadium or museum they recently visited. Do you envision the building as vast and expansive? Is it simply very large, or does it seem empty?

The word spacious does not necessarily mean empty. It simply indicates that there is enough room to move around the objects inside it. Similarly, outer space is not completely empty. It is vast and forever expanding, but there’s a lot of stuff in it.

Click on link to continue reading: https://www.zmescience.com/space/astrophysicist-explains-why-outer-space-isnt-just-emptiness/