Even musical instruments have evolved, notes Nicholas Makris. And, they only made phone calls! Today, cell phones are small, light and as capable as desktop computers. The first cell phones were relatively big and bulky. Computer chips have gotten smaller and faster. That’s especially true if the feature makes a creature better adapted to its environment.īut in a sense, objects can evolve - or change through time - too. If genetic changes allow a new feature to arise, that trait can be passed on to future generations. The word describes how species undergo changes through time. When many people hear the word “evolution,” they think of biology. For instance, do Stradivarius violins truly sound better than modern-day instruments? Evolution in action So some scientists now wonder if they should be asking different questions. But in many ways, those famous violins are just like those made by other craftsmen. Such details could affect how the violins sound. Is it something about the wood used to make them? Does it reflect the chemicals used to treat the wood? Perhaps it was the type of protective varnish applied that also gives it its luster? Many researchers have searched for the secret behind their sound. These instruments are reputed to be among the finest ever made. So has their reputation for producing a gorgeous sound. Their rarity has helped drive their high prices. Only a few hundred of the instruments made by these two men survive. He and his family, many of whom made violins, lived in the same town as Stradivari. (The instruments that he and his family made are known as Stradivarius violins.) Another well-known violinmaker from that time is Giuseppe Guarneri. One of the best known is Antonio Stradivari. Several renowned craftsmen lived in Italy. The late 1600s and early 1700s are known as the golden age of violinmaking. The length and shape of a violin’s sound holes, especially the length around its edge, help determine how loud this Stradivarious instrument is.
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