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Insane in the Chromatophores

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Video of the Week #58 August 29th, 2012:

From:Shiny! On the Iridescence of Squid by Jennifer Ouellette at Cocktail Party Physics.


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Source:Backyard Brains

The Backyard Brains made the color-changing skin of a Longfin Inshore squid shift hues in sync to the pulsing beat of Cypress Hill in “Insane in the Chromatophores.” They simulated the nerve signals that trigger the muscles by connecting an iPhone to one of the creature s dorsal fins with a suction electrode. When audio was sent to the squid in the form of electrical signals, the voltage changes made the pigment cells dance in sync with the music.