Previously we’ve featured songs about giant isopods and Tom Lehrer’s take on Wernher Von Braun. Now – following the inspired ‘Scientists for Better PCR’ song shown here – it seems time to tackle the whole issue of songs about science.

While the PCR song has lyrics that are both informative and hilariously earnestly delivered, it is an advert and therefore cannot really be accorded top prize. So we have rounded up the best science music we can find for your listening pleasure below the fold.

Many of the following have featured on Nature’s (free) podcast and its Sounds of Science section. If anyone has their own personal favourites please let us know and we’ll endeavour to incorporate them.

Hotel Mauna Kea

First up: a reworking of MOR classic ‘Hotel California’ by astronomers working at Mauna Kea. Never have the problem of interpreting data, worries over peer review and funding shortfalls out been expressed better acoustically.

The Element Song

Another showing from Tom Lehrer, this time with his run down of the periodic table.

Mandelbrot Set

A soft-rock classic tribute to Mandelbrot, by Jonathan Coulton with perhaps the best video of any of these entries.

The Vegetable Orchestra

Not so much about science or nature, but using it – Vienna’s vegetable orchestra will make you look at your food in a totally new way.

Increase the N

Listen

Band Hefe expound a key principle of science:

there’s a trend but the error is big

increase the N

the rat’s no good use the guinea pig

increase the N

the antibody’s weak the background high

increase the N

my P value is bigger than pi

increase the N

Finally, budding science musicians should check out the homepage of the Science Songwriters’ Association. And if anyone can point us in the direction of an online version of the examination of reductionism that is Dr Octagon’s Biology 101 you will have our eternal thanks.

UPDATES

Paracetamoxyfrusebendroneomycin

The drug industry explained in rhyming couplets.

Origin of Species in Dub

A full version of this is provided here, courtesy of The Genomic Dub Collective