Radiolab and Mahler

Recently, Reed's been listening to the Radiolab podcasts. He has slowly introduced me to the show, and we both love it.  Reed found out that they were coming to do a live show at our local college, and at the last minute, we finally bit the bullet and bought tickets.

I had my doubts about how a radio show would translate into a satisfying visual experience, but they pulled it off! The first half was about a new theory of dinosaur extinction, and the visual elements did not disappoint. Several huge puppets made their way onto the stage…

...and the set was equipped with huge screens that projected demonstrations of small-scale physics experiments, all of which illustrated the plausibility of the new extinction theory. It was completely fascinating!

It was refreshing to attend a show where the presenters assumed we knew what they were talking about.  The audience was really responsive, and I had this moment where I just sighed contentedly and thought, "These are our people!"

And lest you think, "But what about the right side of the brain?", check out what was waiting for us only two nights later: The Stanford University student symphony, playing Mahler's 2nd.

This was my first concert in the brand new Bing concert hall at Stanford, at it was not a disappointment.  The space was beautifully designed, with perfect acoustics.  We will be making it a goal to return to concerts there as often as we can. We even got to enjoy a cup of cayenne cocoa with our friends afterward at a Venezuelan coffee shop downtown. And again, there was that feeling: "These are our people." 

With everything it has to offer, Silicon Valley is turning out to be a fantastic place for us.