A take on a small section of my recent book, The Effective Scientist, about the importance of music in science.
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I don’t know any scientists who don’t love music, and I will go out on a limb by stating that most of us probably combine our science activities with music during the quieter times in front of the computer.
One tool that can effectively mask distractions when writing or coding, especially noisy ones, is music. I consider my earphones to be an essential tool of the science trade, for they allow me to ‘tune out’ as I ‘tune in’ to my favorite mood music.
However, a little caution is required here. If the music is set to loud to mask the ambient noises that you are presently finding annoying, you might discover that your capacity to concentrate is reduced. The style of music is also important. When I am writing actual text, anything that could induce the slightest foot tapping or head banging tends to send me off into space; I prefer something light and instrumental in these circumstances, like Vivaldi, Mozart, or Miles Davis.
On the contrary, if I am merely transcribing data, coding, analysing, or creating display items, then I tend to go more for heavy metal or electronica to set an intense pace. While this is absolutely a personal choice, you might do well inevitably to find some combination of music styles that works best for you.
I’m going to use this occasion though to list my top-10 metal/hard-core tracks that I find particularly good for coding. Somehow for me, heavy metal and coding go together like Vegemite and toast (but the combination doesn’t work for writing papers, although at this very moment I’m listen to some of the tracks listed below). This list is also a little window into my own frustration with the Anthropocene and the political inertia about limiting the damage we humans are doing to our own life-support system.
In no particular order, here are my top-10 heavy-metal/coding/angst/frustration tunes (listen to the lyrics — they help):
I’ll start with some classic bands that get across the idea that humanity is self-destructive …
When that so-and-so politician destroys yet another vital ecosystem through a stupid, self-serving policy …
Some more angry stuff …
When you’re about to lose it after yet-another set of stupid reviewer comments …
And finally, a new thrash metal piece that caught my eye the other day — sung entirely in Maori (te reo Māori) (translation here)!
