Dune is new to me; I’m new to Dune. Science-fiction fanatics cast looks of pity on hearing this confession. If they don’t bolt too fast, I take the blows of scorn from the fashionistas. In a world where Clarke is God—he did give us 2001: A Space Odyssey, after all—I’ve missed the boat. And for those who don’t consider Asimov and Heinlein bookshelf staples, my admission is barely heard, if at all. Still, with a pride not easily wounded, I bear my tattered copy as a shield, firmly grasped in both hands. I was finished, finally, after toting it to the gym and the bar, reading late into the night and feeling like it was all night. Anxious for Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles, I place Dune on my broken-down bookshelf; my demeanor suggests a ceremonial sacredness. Stockhausen’s Stimmung should have been playing, uncannily, in the background.
Karlheinz Stockhausen is a noted spectralist. Fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) are used to analyze sound spectra, which eventually plays a role in composition. Listening to spectral music, I limbo between bizarre and spiritual—often feeling both, simultaneously. The elongated tones and rhythmic patterns have convinced me that Stimmung is Dune’s lost soundtrack. Obviously, it is hard to find the words that accurately describe my impressions of this work. It is even more difficult to list the incredible ways in which FFTs impact our lives—not to mention scientific advancement.
Whether faced with stoicism, glee, or, in my case, unease, introductory physics courses are a necessity. FFTs float around the curriculum, and a basic understanding is achieved. But in truth, considering their ubiquitous nature, FFT studies can, and often do, fill a lifetime—just ask Daniel Potts, our latest Hot Topic author. Specifically, Daniel focuses on an adapted type: nonequispaced fast Fourier transforms (NFFTs). NFFTs, true to form, continue to expand the Fourier transform influence. For more on NFFTs, read our latest Hot Topic.
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