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Caltech

William & Myrtle Harris Distinguished Lectureship in Science and Civilization

Thursday, May 5, 2022
4:00pm to 5:00pm
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Chen 100
Engineering Fidelity: Early Radio and the Trautonium in Berlin in the 1920s and '30s
Myles W. Jackson, Ph.D., Ernst & Elisabeth Albers-Schönberg Professor in the History of Science, Institute for Advanced Study,

This talk analyzes the collaborations between radio engineers, physicists, physiologists, and musicians in Berlin during the 1920s and '30s. The skills, practices, and techniques relevant to the improvement in the fidelity of radio broadcasting were relevant to the invention of the most important German electronic musical instrument, the trautonium. This instrument was initially popular since it could replace a myriad of more traditional musical instruments due to its ability to alter its tone color. After the War, it became an important instrument for sound effects in Hollywood and West German films.

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Free and open to the public (all attendees who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are required to show proof of vaccination at entry to indoor and outdoor events. Individuals with a legal medical exemption, must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 viral test from within 72 hours of event.)

For more information, please contact Sini Elvington by email at [email protected].