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488 – That fluorescent Mozart Effect

by Eva Amsen

At orchestra rehearsal last night, I failed miserably at keeping up with the Mozart piano concerto we’re playing. I don’t really like Mozart, and we’re also playing Haydn and Shostakovich at the next concert, so I had no motivation to practice it, especially since it’s just an accompaniment. But because I really needed to pick this up, I thought I’d give it a listen. I didn’t have the front page with the exact number of the concerto, and Mozart composed quite a lot, so I leaned over to read the KV number from the conductor’s score: KV 488

Hm, 488 did sound familiar. Maybe I have a recording of it after all.

Then I realized this morning, as soon as I woke up, that I hadn’t recognized the number as one of Mozart’s famous piano concertos, but as the excitation wavelength for Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein and FITC dye. In other words, the “green” wavelength in fluorescence microscopy…


KV 488, exciting!

488
Excited at 488 nm

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7 comments

Alyssa Gilbert October 28, 2009 - 1:30 PM

LOL! If that’s not motivation to practice, I don’t know what is!

Ken Doyle October 28, 2009 - 2:04 PM

Priceless!

Bob O'Hara October 28, 2009 - 3:48 PM

So, the way to get you excited about the music is to shine a UV on you then?

steffi suhr October 28, 2009 - 4:09 PM

only after staining her with one of those dyes, Bob.

Alejandro Correa October 28, 2009 - 4:26 PM

Extraneous!

Henry Gee October 28, 2009 - 5:48 PM

If KV488 is an excited green, what colour is BWV565?

Eva Amsen October 28, 2009 - 7:46 PM

Excited red. (really!)

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