Motor Overflow

So I made an anatomically accurate 3D model of my cerebral cortical surface, conveying the exact size and shape of my brain as it sits in my head. I frequently have to jump in the MRI scanner to test research protocols, so I started with a pretty standard high-resolution scan of my brain.

1. These are the T1-weighted images I started with, for those who might care about the pulse sequence.
2. I took the 208 separate sagittal slices and essentially sewed them together digitally into a block (head), then created a smooth surface rendering of the entire image. Note the noisy parts with signal dropout.
3. Next, I added more smoothing and more detailed contouring by creating a volume rendering. Here, you'll see the chunk of image around the mouth that is lost because of susceptibility artifacts (chiefly) near those regions of the face. You'll also see how terrifying my real demon appearance is.
4. Then, I digitally stripped away all layers of my skin, my eyes, my nose, ears, the underlying fat, the skull, and the thick layers of dura and meninges that wrap the brain. Then chopped off the neck, spinal cord, and cerebellum at the base of the brain, removing everything to reveal the cerebrum!
5. Zooming in on the digital surface model, you can see all the tiny triangles that are used in the tesselation to accurately represent the cortical surface in three dimensions. There are about 300,000 triangles per hemisphere required.
6, 7, & 8. Lastly, I 3D-printed the final surface rendering in exactly the real-life total size and proportions of my brain. I'm really impressed with how smooth and accurate the printing came out!

Also, some new music (under construction) is playing in the background.

I hope everyone is doing well! 🧠🫀🎶

Everyone loves the widely known theme music from the Twilight Zone TV series by French avant garde composer Marius Constant, but this music came only in the second season. Music for the first season, including the opening and closing themes, was different and written by Bernard Herrmann. I've always loved something about the music from this first season. It's a bit more abstract, dissonant, and less lyrical or hummable. Herrmann went on to write music for all sorts of successful films and TV shows, and the last score he wrote, shortly before his death, was for Scorsese's Taxi Driver. 🧠🫀

There's a new vintage synth series episode out right now on YouTube from Benge at Memetune Studios in England. Do yourself a big favor: grab a drink and a snack, sit back, and take in some audio and visuals that will end up being one of the best parts of your week. If you have good speakers, watch this with them. Like ASMR? The paper rustling alone will take you to tingle town. And it only gets better after that. I watch these wearing one of my Synthesiser Club T-shirts drinking a gin martini. These pretzels are making me thirsty. 🍸🥨

That time during my postdoc that my research assistant gave me a full-size original oil painting of himself. Painted by his mother. True story. 🫣

Rick on Rick.

💰

Empirical studies and meta-analyses show that Simon Gallup's BAD Index (bassist angle of declension) has only increased over the course of his impressive career. 📐

Just tried hot sauce. I'm a desert rat from Arizona raised on hot sauce and this one is phenomenal. Habanero, cayenne, and ghost pepper deliver a tasty flavor straight from hell. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Forty-three years ago today, Fripp, Belew, Bruford, and Levin released the album Discipline by King Crimson. For me, it redefined for the rest of my life what music is and should be.

It's one of those front-to-back journeys that should be experienced in full. Or try just listening to Sheltering Sky while absorbing your favorite psychotropic substance. For students of polyrhythms, we called this album Dark Side of the Meter. It will take you to novel places. Cheers.

🧠 + 🫀