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				Ben Franklin's Harmonica A glass blower recreates Ben Franklin’s other-worldly harmonica, once banned in 19th Century America.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: AND IT'S MY HAPPY OFFICE TO BID YOU WELCOME TO MY HOMETOWN. ( glass harmonica tones play ) Alda: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN-- THE VERY DEFINITION OF AN INSPIRED REVOLUTIONARY-- WOULD HAVE SEEN NOTHING ODD ABOUT SCIENCE AND ART RUBBING SHOULDERS. IN A 20th-CENTURY REINCARNATION, HE'S HERE PRESIDING OVER THE 1997 INTERNATIONAL GLASS MUSIC FESTIVAL. THE MOST POPULAR GLASS INSTRUMENT TODAY AS IN BEN FRANKLIN'S TIME, IS AN ARRAY OF GLASSES TUNED BY THE AMOUNT OF WATER THEY CONTAIN AND PLAYED BY RUBBING A MOISTENED FINGER AROUND THE RIM. THE STORY GOES THAT WHILE IN LONDON AS COLONIAL ENVOY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IN 1759 ATTENDED A RECITAL OF MUSICAL GLASSES. ENTRANCED BY THE SOUND FRANKLIN INVENTED A MECHANICAL VERSION. THE IDEA QUITE NEAR LEAPED INTO MY HEAD BY WAY OF AN EPIPHANY-- THE MECHANIZING OF THEM-- AND SO, IN '59 CAME THE IDEA. I COMPLETED THE INSTRUMENT IN '62, '61. ( "Amazing Grace" plays ) Alda: THIS IS FRANKLIN'S INVENTION, THE GLASS HARMONICA. THE GLASSES ARE NOW BOWLS, TUNED BY THEIR SIZE TIPPED ON THEIR SIDE, AND NESTED INSIDE EACH OTHER ON A CONSTANTLY ROTATING SPINDLE. ( song continues ) THE RESULT IS THAT THE PERFORMER CAN NOW TOUCH SEVERAL GLASSES AT ONCE AND SO PLAY CHORDS. HER INSTRUMENT WAS MADE BY THIS MAN, GERHARD FINKENBEINER. LIKE BEN FRANKLIN, HE COMBINES A LOVE OF MUSIC WITH AN INVENTIVE TECHNICAL MIND. ( "Amazing Grace" continues ) HIS FASCINATION WITH THE GLASS HARMONICA BEGAN OVER 40 YEARS AGO, WHEN, IN A PARIS MUSEUM HE SAW ONE OF THE FEW INSTRUMENTS TO HAVE SURVIVED A CENTURY AND A HALF OF OBLIVION. DID YOU HEAR IT PLAYED? ( with German accent ): I HEARD IT IN MY SPIRITS. I HEARD A BEAUTIFUL SOUND SO I GOT VERY, VERY INTERESTED AND PROMISED MYSELF THAT ONE DAY I'M GOING TO MAKE ONE AND IT TOOK ABOUT 20 YEARS. IF YOU CAN... BUT IT IS A SHORT TIME TO MAKE THE VOICE OF ANGELS, ISN'T IT? Alda: GERHARD LEARNED GLASSBLOWING IN GERMANY. LATER, HE TOOK HIS SKILLS FIRST TO PARIS, THEN TO MASSACHUSETTS WHERE HE BEGAN MANUFACTURING COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC GLASSWARE. MAKING A GLASS HARMONICA REMAINED A DREAM UNTIL ONE DAY HE REALIZED HE HAD THE BEGINNINGS OF AN INSTRUMENT RIGHT THERE IN HIS SHOP. WE HAD A JOB FOR I. B.M., AND THE JOB WAS FURNACE TUBES AND, ER... I THINK I HAVE ONE RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE TUBE YOU WERE MAKING FOR I. B.M.? YES, IT WAS CLOSED ON BOTH SIDES FIRST, LIKE THIS AND THEN ONE SIDE HAD TO BE OPEN SO WHAT WE DID... WE JUST CUT IT AND THE PIECE THAT REMAINED WAS... WE CUT IT HERE-- LOOKED JUST LIKE A GLASS HARMONICA CUP. THIS PART WOULD COME OFF, THIS TOP PART? YES, AND WE THROW IT OUT, USUALLY. AND YOU REALIZED AT THAT POINT BECAUSE YOU HAD SEEN THE GLASS HARMONICA... YES, I SAW IT, AND IT HAD A GOOD SOUND WHEN I TAPPED IT. ( tube chimes ) IT SOUNDED BEAUTIFUL ALREADY. Alda: THAT FIRST GLASS HARMONICA SOLD FOR $3,000 AND SLOWLY, ORDERS CAME IN FOR MORE. SO GERHARD STARTED BUILDING THEM FROM SCRATCH STILL USING THE SAME HIGH-QUALITY GLASS OF THE I. B.M. FURNACE TUBES, BUT NOW SHAPING THE CUPS TO BE MORE LIKE DR. FRANKLIN'S ORIGINAL DESIGN. THIS WILL BECOME A PAIR OF CUPS ONCE IT'S SLICED THROUGH THE MIDDLE. ( saw blade whirs ) ( tone sounds, glasses chime ) GERHARD CAN'T PREDICT THE EXACT PITCH EACH CUP WILL HAVE SO HE SOUNDS EACH ONE TO FIND WHAT NOTE IS CLOSEST. ( higher tone sounds ) Man: SO THAT NOTE IS ABOUT 15 CENTS FLAT. Alda: FINE-TUNING IS DONE BY HIS ASSISTANT, TIM NICKERSON WHO GRINDS THE FRONT OF THE CUP TO RAISE ITS PITCH. ( glass chimes ) TIM'S GOING TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE CUP MAKES ITS ETHEREAL SOUND. NOW WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS CUP IN THIS DEVICE WHICH ACTUALLY USES AN AUDIO FEEDBACK LOOP TO SUSTAIN THE VIBRATION OF THE CUP. IF YOU TURN ON THE STROBE LIGHT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW MUCH THAT WALL IS ACTUALLY MOVING. Alda: THE STROBE LIGHT APPEARS TO SLOW THE VIBRATIONS SO WE CAN SEE THEM. Alda: THAT'S AMAZING. SO IS THIS CIRCLE OF THE TOP OF THE BOWL GETTING BIGGER AND SMALLER, OR... NO, IT'S JUST CHANGING SHAPE LIKE FROM A CIRCLE TO AN ELLIPSE TO AN ELLIPSE IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION. UH-HUH. Alda: ONLY A GLASS MADE OF THE PUREST QUARTZ CAN WITHSTAND THESE VIBRATIONS. HERE'S A BOWL MADE OF ORDINARY GLASS. ( tone sounds ) IN THE YEARS AFTER FRANKLIN INVENTED IT THE GLASS HARMONICA BECAME A BIG HIT IN EUROPE WHERE EVEN MOZART WROTE MUSIC FOR IT. BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT THE INSTRUMENT BECAME UNPOPULAR. DO YOU KNOW WHY? YES, I THINK THERE WERE SEVERAL REASONS. DURING A CONCERT IN A TOWN IN GERMANY A CHILD DIED DURING THE CONCERT AND THE POLICE BANNED IT IN THAT PARTICULAR TOWN. THEY THOUGHT THE INSTRUMENT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CHILD DYING. WHY WOULD THEY THINK THAT? THAT'S AN ODD THING. IF SOMEBODY DIED AT A CONCERT YOU WOULDN'T BLAME THE PIANO NOWADAYS OR THE SAXOPHONE. WHY WOULD THEY HAVE BLAMED THE GLASS HARMONICA, DO YOU THINK? BECAUSE THERE WERE RUMORS ALREADY KNOWN THAT IT HAD SUPERNATURAL POWERS AND WHEN YOU PLAY AT MIDNIGHT THE GHOSTS WILL COME OUT. THIS IS CLEARLY STATED IN ONE OF THE BOOKS. ( pops ) WOW! IT'S VERY THIN, SO IT DOES NOT CUT. IT'S GLASS, IT'S LIKE CELLOPHANE. WELL, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I'M GOING TO BE PLAYING THIS THING. BUT THEY WON'T LET ME PLAY IT UNTIL MY HANDS ARE COMPLETELY CLEAN-- SO CLEAN THAT THEY SQUEAK. I DON'T KNOW IF I GET A SQUEAK YET. ALL THE OIL HAS TO BE OFF THE FINGERS OTHERWISE YOU DON'T GET A GOOD SOUND. I THINK I HEAR IT SQUEAKING. IT'S PROBABLY THE ONLY INSTRUMENT IN THE WORLD IN THE HISTORY OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WHERE YOU POUR WATER IN A... OH, EXCUSE ME! Alda: THOMAS BLOCH HAS COME FROM HIS NATIVE FRANCE BRINGING HIS OWN SPECIAL WATER TO GIVE ME A DEMONSTRATION OF THE INSTRUMENT AND MY FIRST LESSON IN PLAYING IT. ( tones sound ) THE WATER COMES FROM A PARTICULAR CAVE IN SOUTHERN FRANCE, AND IS RICH IN TALC TO IMPROVE THE CONTACT BETWEEN THOMAS'S FINGERS AND THE GLASS. JUST ON THE TOP OF A GLASS... THE GLASS YOU WANT TO PLAY. THIS ONE, THIS ONE. I'M NOT GETTING A SOUND AT ALL. WAIT, DOES IT SOUND... IT DOESN'T SOUND? YOU HEAR SOMETHING? Alda: THOMAS'S SPECIAL WATER DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING FOR ME. IT COMES, IT COMES. ( faint, wavering screech ) THAT'S PATHETIC. IT BEGINS TO CRY. DON'T PUSH. THIS IS WORSE THAN WHEN I TRIED TO LEARN THE TRUMPET. DON'T PUSH TOO HARD? NO, NO. ( resonant tone sounds ) Alda: THEN SUDDENLY, WITH JUST THE RIGHT PRESSURE... ( series of higher resonant tones sounds ) SO NOW YOU CAN PLAY WITH FIVE FINGERS, IF YOU WANT. ( playing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" ) A MINUTE AGO, I COULDN'T PLAY AT ALL! TRES BIEN, TRES BIEN. MERCI! ( complex classical tune plays ) Alda: THOMAS BLOCH IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING GLASS HARMONICA PLAYERS. THANKS TO HIM AND GERHARD FINKENBEINER FOR A FEW MOMENTS, WE WERE LISTENING AGAIN TO THE SOUND BEN FRANKLIN HIMSELF HAD INVENTED. ( classical piece continues ) FOR THE RECORD, NOBODY DIED AND WE SAW NO GHOSTS. ( song ends )

				Alan 2.0 Using the latest special effects technology, scientist use scans, recordings and animations of the real Alan to create a digital host.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: IN MOVIES THESE DAYS, THE MOST SPECTACULAR SPECIAL EFFECTS OWE MORE TO THE COMPUTER THAN THEY DO TO THE CAMERA. BUT THE MOVIE TITANIC TAKES COMPUTER-GENERATED EFFECTS INTO NEW TERRITORY BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE MANY OF THE OBJECTS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN DIGITAL RATHER THAN REAL, SO TOO ARE MANY OF THE PEOPLE. FACED WITH THE PROBLEM OF POPULATING A SHIP THAT DOESN'T EXIST THE MOVIE-MAKERS TURNED TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T EXIST. EVERYONE ON DECK HERE, FOR INSTANCE, IS A DIGITAL EXTRA. TAKE THIS MAN STRIDING PURPOSEFULLY PAST A WOMAN AND CHILD. HIS DIGITAL LIFE BEGAN WITH A REAL-LIFE ACTOR IN THE STUDIOS OF DIGITAL DOMAIN, THE HOLLYWOOD COMPANY THAT DID MOST OF TITANIC'S SPECIAL EFFECTS. THE WHITE BALLS ON HIS BODY ARE PICKED UP BY INFRARED CAMERAS. ONCE HIS MOVEMENTS HAVE BEEN CAPTURED IN 3-D LIKE THIS THE FLESH-AND-BLOOD ACTOR'S JOB IS DONE. Man: MOTION CAPTURE ALLOWS YOU TO ACTUALLY CREATE OR ANIMATE SOMEBODY IN A VERY NATURALISTIC WAY. AND THEN, ONCE THEY'RE IN THE COMPUTER YOU CAN TAKE THEM AND PLACE THEM ON ANY PART OF THE MINIATURE SHIP. Man: WE'VE POPULATED THE DECK OF THE TITANIC WITH THESE PEOPLE AND WE'VE DONE IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT NO ONE WILL NOTICE THAT THEY'RE FAKE. Alda: THE WHITE DOTS ARE CONVERTED INTO FAKE PEOPLE BY FIRST TURNING THEM INTO THREE-DIMENSIONAL STICK FIGURES WHICH CAN THEN BE LOOKED AT FROM ANY ANGLE YOU CHOOSE. THE STICK FIGURES THEN HAVE VIRTUAL BODIES DRAPED OVER THEM AND THESE, IN TURN, ARE GIVEN FACES AND CLOTHES. THE RESULT-- THAT MAN WE SAW STROLLING ON THE DECK. THIS IS THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER HE PASSED. AND HERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER VIRTUAL ACTORS STRUGGLING WITH A VIRTUAL WIND. THAT FLYOVER OF THE TITANIC WAS PUT TOGETHER FROM A CAMERA MOVE OVER A MODEL SHIP WITH A DIGITAL OCEAN AND DIGITAL SHIP'S WAKE SCORES OF DIGITAL PEOPLE... THE ODD DIGITAL SEAGULL, AND A LITTLE DIGITAL SMOKE. IMPRESSIVE AS THEY ARE TITANIC'S DIGITAL CHARACTERS STAY STRICTLY IN THE BACKGROUND. BUT THEY GOT US TO THINKING: WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO CREATE A DIGITAL CHARACTER BELIEVABLE ENOUGH FOR A SPEAKING PART? ALAN, THIS IS ERIN. ERIN, HI. HI, NICE TO MEET YOU. Alda: LUCKILY, WE HAVE AN ACTOR ON HAND WHO'S RECKLESS ENOUGH TO LET HIMSELF TO BE DIGITALLY CLONED. HOW DOES THIS WORK? Alda: WE'RE AT VIEWPOINT DATALABS IN VENICE, CALIFORNIA WHERE WALTER NOOT IS ABOUT TO MAKE ME DIGITAL. AND THEN A LASER COMES ACROSS YOUR FACE. YOU PROBABLY WON'T SEE IT. IT'S VERY SLIGHT. SO ONCE THE LASER BEAM IS BOUNCING OFF OF HERE THEN HERE, THEN HERE, THEN IT GOES FURTHER IN HERE THEN IT COMES FURTHER OUT HERE, AND IT KNOWS WHERE IT IS HOW FAR IN OR OUT IT IS... THAT'S RIGHT. IT COMES UP HERE AND IT GOES BACK AND MEASURES THE DISTANCE? YEAH, AND SOMETIMES IT GETS LOST. YOU KNOW, IT HITS YOUR HAIR AND IT'LL GET LOST IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS. BUT THE FIRST FACIAL EXPRESSION WE WANT IS WE WANT YOUR EYES OPEN WIDE AND WE WANT A BIG SMILE, A PRETTY EXTREME SMILE. I CAN'T DO THAT, I CAN'T, I CAN'T. I'M WELL KNOWN FOR SMILING WITH MY EYES CLOSED. THIS IS MY WHOLE LIFE. THIS IS MY CAREER. THIS IS WHAT MADE ME FAMOUS. THEY SAID, "LET'S GO SEE THAT GUY WHO CAN'T SMILE WITH HIS EYES OPEN. " I'M COUNTING ON YOU TO GIVE ME A PICTURE OF MYSELF WITH MY EYES OPEN AND SMILING AND THEN I COULD GET MUCH MORE WORK! Erin: WE NEED TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF TO DO THE SCAN. ( clears throat ) CHIN UP A LITTLE BIT. Alda: OUR PLAN IS TO SEE IF IT'S POSSIBLE WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE A DIGITAL FACSIMILE OF MY HEAD THAT CAN TALK-- DOING AND SAYING THINGS THAT THE REAL ME HAS NEVER DONE OR SAID. OUR CODE NAME FOR THE PROJECT IS "ALAN 2. 0." THE JOB OF THE PEOPLE AT VIEWPOINT IS TO BEGIN THE PROCESS BY GENERATING THE DATA NEEDED TO CREATE THE 3-D MODEL. ( Alda chuckles ) THIS IS GOING TO LOOK GROTESQUE. Alda: HERE IT IS-- 250,000 POINTS OF DATA THAT, MADE TO LOOK SOLID GENERATE WHAT LOOKS LIKE A MARBLE BUST THAT WOULD BE RIGHT AT HOME IN A MUSEUM. BUT THEN THE COMPUTER CAME UP WITH THIS WEIRD-LOOKING MONSTER. Alda: WHO'S THIS? Erin: THIS IS YOU. THIS IS YOUR TEXTURE, CUT OPEN AND LAID FLAT. AND WHAT WE CAN DO IS EVENTUALLY TAKE THIS TEXTURE AND WRAP IT BACK AROUND THE MODEL OF YOUR FACE. THAT'S MY TEXTURE? YOU'VE FILLETED MY FACE. WE CUT YOU OPEN AND LAID YOU FLAT. Alda: SUDDENLY, CREATING ALAN 2. 0 DIDN'T SEEM SO FARFETCHED. Alda: HAVE WE REACHED THE POINT NOW WHERE YOU CAN TAKE A COUPLE OF PICTURES OF ME AND THEN BUILD A PERFORMANCE FOR ME IN A MOVIE AND I DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP FOR WORK? THERE I AM IN THE MOVIE AND I DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP? YES, WE'RE AT THAT POINT. YES?! I MEAN, CAN YOU SHOW SOMEBODY IN A CLOSE-UP LIKE THIS? YEAH, USING THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY, YOU CAN. Alda: WITH VIEWPOINT'S DIGITAL DATA IN HAND WE TURN TO THE PEOPLE WHOSE JOB IT WILL BE TO BRING ALAN 2. 0 ALIVE, TO ANIMATE IT-- SOMETHING THEY ALREADY DO FOR ANOTHER WELL-KNOWN ACTOR. Man: IT COULD BE A SPOKESMAN. Alda: THIS JOB, THOUGH, THEY THINK MIGHT BE TRICKIER. Man: THE MOST DIFFICULT THING IS, THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT YOU'VE SEEN HIM SO OFTEN, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE SO YOU CAN SEE ALL YOUR FLAWS. CONVERSELY, THAT'S THE MOST FUN PART. Alda: JIM RUSSELL IS ONE OF THE TEAM AT LAMB & COMPANY. THE FIRST THING HE DOES IS REPLACE THE HAIR THE LASER SCANNER MISSED. THEN HE LAYS MY FILLETED FACE OVER THE MODEL AND STARTS WORK ON GETTING THE HAIR THE RIGHT SHADE OF GRAY. NEXT HE GIVES ALAN 2. 0 SOME EYEBALLS AND STARTS YANKING BITS OF THE FACE AROUND TO CREATE SOME EXPRESSIONS. THIS IS A LOT OF SMALL STEPS AND IT'S SORT OF... IT'S LIKE SCULPTING. HERE I'VE GRABBED A POINT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUTH. I CAN PULL THE MOUTH UP A LITTLE BIT SAY, IF I WAS GOING TO MAKE AN "O" OR SOMETHING. Alda: JIM SPENT HOURS TWEAKING AWAY AT THE DIGITAL ALAN AND HE TRIED ESPECIALLY HARD TO MAKE IT SMILE WITH ITS EYES OPEN. IN ALL, THE LAMB TEAM BUILT SOME 60 EXPRESSIONS AS THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR WHAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE AN ALL-DIGITAL PERFORMANCE. BUT MEANWHILE THERE WAS THE LITTLE MATTER OF MAKING ALAN 2. 0 TALK. JUST AS THEY NEEDED A SAMPLE OF MY FACE THEY ALSO NEEDED A SAMPLE OF MY VOICE AND THEY WANTED IT AS LIVELY AND EXPRESSIVE AS POSSIBLE. I CAME UP WITH THIS: YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA THAT THEY HAVE A DIGITIZED VERSION OF ME. THEN THEY CAN SEND IT AROUND THE WORLD, INSTEAD OF ME TO THESE PLACES WHERE I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO. THE PRODUCERS OF THIS SHOW HAVE ME DOING VERY DANGEROUS THINGS. THEY HAD ME WRESTLING WITH SHARKS AND CATCHING RATTLESNAKES. THEY SENT ME TO THE TOP OF MOUNT VESUVIUS ONCE. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? I SAID, "I DON'T REALLY THINK I OUGHT TO GO UP THERE. " AND THEY SAID, "WHY? " I SAID, "BECAUSE IT'S A VOLCANO. " I THINK IF THEY COULD SEND ME DIGITALLY TO MOUNT VESUVIUS I'D BE A LOT HAPPIER. GOOD LUCK. HAI. ARIGATO. Alda: THIS IS NICK CAMPBELL WHO WORKS FOR A COMPANY CALLED A. T.R. RESEARCH IN KYOTO, JAPAN. ( speaking Japanese ) HAI. OKAY, GOOD. Alda: NICK HAS PIONEERED A WAY TO DIGITALLY SAMPLE A VOICE THEN USE THOSE BITS TO MAKE THAT VOICE SAY ANYTHING HE WANTS IT TO. THE FIRST THING HE DID WHEN HE GOT THE TAPE OF MY VOICE WAS TO FEED IT INTO HIS COMPUTER... Alda ( recorded): I think it's a good idea to have a digitized version of me... Alda: ALONG WITH OTHER WORDS I'VE SPOKEN IN PREVIOUS EPISODES OF FRONTIERS. LET'S LISTEN TO THIS ONE, WHERE HE SAYS... Alda: Now, as anyone who knows me can tell you the secret to manipulating my emotions is food. THAT'S A NICE SENTENCE. WE'LL PULL UP THE WAVE FORM FOR THAT. Alda: THE WAVE FORM OF EACH WORD IS A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF ALL THE LITTLE BITS IT'S CONSTRUCTED FROM. Alda: My... emotions... Alda: HERE'S THE WORD "EMOTIONS. " IT STARTS OFF WITH AN "E"... Alda: e... "M"... m... "O"... mosh... "SH"... sh... AND THEN THE... n... "N," AND THERE'S A... z... OKAY, SO THAT GIVES US THE WORD. emotions... Alda: FROM ALL THE WORDS WE SENT HIM NICK HAS BUILT A LIBRARY OF MY SPEECH SOUNDS. Campbell: LET'S LOOK AT SOME Os. I'LL PLAY YOU... THERE'S 50-ODD HERE I THINK I'VE TAKEN AT RANDOM THROUGH THE FILE BUT LET'S LISTEN TO SOME OF THEM. ( "o" sounds spoken with varying inflections ) THEY'RE ALL Os, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THEM-- SOME ARE LOUD, SOME ARE QUIET. SOME OF THEM ARE LONG, SOME ARE SHORT. SOME ARE GETTING LOUDER, SOME ARE GETTING QUIETER. "N" IS A NICE ONE. THE LAST SOUND IN "EMOTION" COMES UP HERE. LET'S LISTEN TO SOME OF THOSE. ( Alda saying "n" with varying inflections and tones ) IT SOUNDS ALMOST LIKE HE'S SINGING BUT THESE ARE SPEECH SOUNDS, TAKEN FROM THE SPEECH. WELL, NOW THAT WE'VE GOT HIS SOUNDS IN THE DATABASE WE CAN PULL THEM OUT TO MAKE NEW SPEECH THAT SOUNDS LIKE HIM. UM... LET'S TRY... HOW'S THIS? Alda ( digitized ): This is Alan. HE NEVER SAID THAT... I THINK. Alda: "THIS IS ALAN" IN FACT CAME FROM FOUR DIFFERENT CHUNKS OF MY SPEECH STORED IN THE COMPUTER: "THISI," "SA," "L," AND "AN. " LET'S TRY "REMARKABLE. " Alda: Remarkable. Alda: THIS TIME THE COMPUTER STITCHED TOGETHER FIVE DIFFERENT WAVE FORMS EACH TAKEN FROM THE HUGE LIBRARY AT ITS DISPOSAL. FROM WORDS, IT'S A SHORT STEP TO SENTENCES. LET'S TRY THIS SENTENCE: "WHAT WILL SCIENCE COME UP WITH NEXT? " What will science come up with next? I THINK IT'S INTELLIGIBLE BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT NATURAL AND IT DOESN'T CARRY THE RIGHT MEANING. I WANT HIM TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE... WELL, LISTEN. "WHAT WILL SCIENCE COME UP WITH NEXT? " SOMETHING THAT'S A BIT MORE EXPRESSIVE, LIKE THAT. WHAT I'VE DONE NOW IS I'VE GIVEN THE SYNTHESIZER A MODEL OF THE WAY I SAY IT AND IT'S GOING TO COME UP WITH HIS VOICE, I HOPE. What will science come up with next? UH, IT'S CLOSE. IT'S CERTAINLY MUCH CLOSER TO WHAT I WANTED. Alda: WELL, IT'S NOT HOW I WOULD HAVE SAID IT AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE MY VOICE SERVING SOMEONE ELSE'S INTERPRETATION. ( digital utterances ) Alda: THE NEXT STEP IS TO HAVE ALAN 2. 0's WORDS EMERGE FROM HIS LIPS AND FOR THAT, IT'S BACK TO MINNEAPOLIS. HERE, LAMB'S KELLY SCHRANDT IS BUILDING THE LIP MOVEMENTS SOUND BY SOUND, TO MATCH THE SPEECH. Schrandt: I SCRUB THROUGH THE AUDIO... Alda ( digitized ): Alan... Alan... AND I DECIDE WHERE THE "A" IN "ALAN" BEGINS AND ENDS. ( sound clips of utterances of "a" and "l" in "Alan" ) Alda: HERE'S THE "L" SOUND. AND NOW THE "AN. " ( sound clips of "l" and "an" ) FINALLY THE BIG DAY. IN A SUITABLY GRAND SETTING COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IN BOSTON I WAS ABOUT TO CONFRONT MY DIGITAL TWIN FOR THE FIRST TIME. HE WAS A LITTLE STONY AT FIRST BUT A FLICK OF THE SWITCH WARMED HIM UP A LITTLE. Hi, Alan One, this is Alan 2. 0. Well, your dearest wish has come true: Here I am in all my digital glory. What do you think? I realize I owe my existence to you, but now that I'm here the producers and I have started wondering: what have you got that I haven't? So they've asked me to give you the news: You still get the dangerous assignments. The producers love scaring you. But the really tasty stories-- like there's this one on the science of pasta-- they're mine from now on. You see, I've promised never to complain. See you next season... maybe! SEE YOU NEXT SEASON. ( chuckling ) I DON'T THINK SO. Alda: NO, I DON'T THINK SO. BUT IN LOOKING AT ALAN 2. 0 I WAS BROUGHT FACE-TO-FACE WITH A SERIOUS QUESTION: IF YOU BUILD A PERFORMANCE OUT OF BITS WHOSE JOB IS IT TO PROVIDE THE SOUL? THIS IS A PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST AT WORK.

				Aaron the Artist A computer program called Aaron paints pictures, prompting scientists and artists alike to question what qualifies as art.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: OR PERHAPS-- AND THIS IS THE CRUX OF OUR STORY-- PERHAPS IT'S A PORTRAIT OF TWO ARTISTS AT WORK: A HUMAN ARTIST AND A COMPUTER ARTIST. THE HUMAN IS HAROLD COHEN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO. SOME 30 YEARS AGO, HE LARGELY ABANDONED A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS AN ABSTRACT PAINTER, IN ENGLAND. HE SET OUT TO DEVISE A COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT ITSELF WOULD CREATE ORIGINAL AND STRIKING... WELL, WHAT? Cohen: A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY, "IS IT ART? " BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYBODY SAY, "IT ISN'T. " THE WAY THE PROGRAM STARTS DRAWING NOW WAS FIXED AROUND 1980. I WAS... IN FACT, I WAS TRYING TO SIMULATE THE WAY YOUNG CHILDREN DRAW. Alda: HAROLD COHEN TURNED TO THE COMPUTER TO ANSWER A DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE QUESTION: WHAT IS IT ABOUT A MARK ON PAPER THAT MAKES IT AN IMAGE THAT MAKES IT MEAN SOMETHING? HE GOT AN EARLY CLUE FROM WATCHING CHILDREN DRAW. Alda: OKAY, SO FIRST THERE'S THIS SCRIBBLE. THIS IS REALLY EXTRAORDINARY. FIRST A SCRIBBLE, AND THEN A CIRCLE AROUND IT. I NEVER NOTICED THAT BEFORE. I NOTICED IT WITH MY OWN CHILDREN WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP. AND... AND YOU'VE OBSERVED THAT CHILDREN-- AT A CERTAIN POINT IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT-- WILL GO FROM SCRIBBLING TO DRAWING A CIRCLE AROUND THE SCRIBBLING OR SOME KIND OF A SHAPE? Cohen: AND IT WAS ALWAYS MY INTUITION THAT THIS WAS ALSO THE STAGE AT WHICH CHILDREN SAID "THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING. " NOT LONG AFTER THAT THEY'LL LEAVE OUT THE SCRIBBLE IN THE MIDDLE JUST DO THE ENCLOSED LINE, AND THEN IT'S QUITE CLEAR THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTING SOMETHING. Alda: HAROLD'S COMPUTER PROGRAM, CALLED "AARON," ALSO EMPLOYS A SORT OF INTERNAL SCRIBBLE WHEN IT DRAWS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TREES. WHAT'S THAT-- "MAKE TREE," OR WHAT? NO, I JUST SAID, "DO IT. " Cohen: THERE WE GO, NOW IT'S STARTED TO DRAW. Alda: IT'S LIKE THE BASIC SKELETAL SHAPE OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO EVENTUALLY DRAW. Alda: FROM THE KNOWLEDGE HAROLD HAS GIVEN IT ABOUT HOW TREES GROW AARON GROWS ITS OWN TREE SKELETON THEN DRAWS A LINE AROUND IT TO CREATE THE IMAGE. LET'S MOVE ON TO SOMETHING MORE COMPLICATED, A FACE. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT TO GET IT TO DRAW A FACE THAT'S EITHER PLEASING OR INTERESTING OR WORTH LOOKING AT IN SOME WAY? I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD JUST STOP AT GETTING IT TO DRAW A FACE. ( laughs ) Alda: IT TURNS OUT THAT AARON KNOWS THINGS ABOUT FACES JUST AS IT DOES ABOUT TREES-- THAT A FACE HAS EYES, A MOUTH, A NOSE THAT THERE ARE LIMITS TO WHERE THEY CAN APPEAR AND WHAT SIZE THEY CAN BE. THE TRICKIER TASK IS USING THESE GENERAL RULES TO CREATE A FACE THAT PERSUADES YOU IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BELONG TO SOMEONE. Alda: HOW DOES IT DO THAT? HOW DOES IT PERSUADE YOU OF THAT? IT DOES IT BY MAKING USE OF SOME OF THE SAME KINDS OF COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS THAT WE USE OURSELVES. IF YOU LOOK AT ITS DRAWINGS YOU WILL FIND IT NEVER HAS THE EYES LEVEL WITH EACH OTHER. IT ALWAYS TENDS TO... TO DO THAT. AND WE DO THAT? SURE, WE DO THAT. SO DOES ART. GO LOOK AT A CEZANNE PORTRAIT. Alda: HAROLD HAS HAD AARON WORKING OVERNIGHT ON SEVERAL PORTRAITS. EACH IS A UNIQUE CREATION WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE FIGURES, THEIR FACES THEIR POSES, GENERATED BY AARON ITSELF FROM THE KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE HAROLD HAS PAINSTAKINGLY PROGRAMMED INTO IT. Alda: NOW, WHAT ABOUT THIS? I MEAN, SHE'S STANDING ON ONE LEG AND HER HIP IS OUT A LITTLE BIT AND HER SHOULDER IS BACK. THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO GESTURES REALLY SAYS A LOT. YES. AND THEY GO TOGETHER. YES. NOW, HOW DID THOSE TWO THINGS HAPPEN TO COME OUT TOGETHER LIKE THAT? WELL, THEY DIDN'T HAPPEN TO. DOES IT KNOW WHEN THE HIP IS BACK THE SHOULDER SHOULD BE BACK OR WHAT? IT KNOWS A FAIR AMOUNT ABOUT POSTURE. HOW DOES IT KNOW THAT? I TOLD IT. Alda: HAROLD HAS ALSO TOLD THE PROGRAM ABOUT THE RANGE OF COLORS IT'S SENSIBLE TO CHOOSE FROM WHEN PAINTING PEOPLE AND AARON MAKES ITS OWN DECISIONS HERE, TOO. BUT HAROLD ISN'T SATISFIED WITH THE PALLID BLANDNESS OF A COMPUTER SCREEN. WHICH IS WHERE HIS LATEST CREATION COMES IN-- A ROBOT PAINTER THAT STARTS, SENSIBLY ENOUGH BY FILLING ITS OWN PAINT POT. EMPLOYING A BRAND-NEW MECHANICAL ARM THAT'S TODAY GETTING ITS VERY FIRST TRYOUT. AARON'S HAD EARLIER ROBOTS WORKING ON ITS CREATIONS BUT THIS ONE IS BY FAR THE MOST SOPHISTICATED. RIGHT NOW, THE ROBOT'S TURNING INTO PAINT ON PAPER ONE OF THE SEVERAL IMAGES AARON GENERATED LAST NIGHT. DOES IT KNOW IT'S OUT OF PAINT? NO, IT JUST KNOWS HOW MANY INCHES OF LINE IT'S DRAWN. SO IT KNOWS ONE DIP IS GOOD FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INCHES. EXACTLY, YES. Alda: DESPITE ALL I'D LEARNED ABOUT HOW AARON GENERATES ITS PICTURES I WAS STILL HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE NOTION THAT EACH ONE IS AARON'S OWN IDEA. Alda: HOW MANY OVERALL CHOICES DOES IT HAVE? OH, GOD KNOWS, THOUSANDS. I MEAN, IN TERMS OF SUBJECT? OH, VERY FEW BECAUSE IT KNOWS ABOUT VERY LITTLE. YEAH. IT KNOWS ABOUT PEOPLE IT KNOWS ABOUT PLANTS IT KNOWS ABOUT DECORATING THE BACKGROUND. AND THAT'S ABOUT THE LIMIT OF WHAT IT... IT KNOWS HOW TO MAKE TABLES AND POTS AND THINGS. IT WOULDN'T EVER PUT A TREE IN A POT OR A PERSON IN A POT? NO, IT WOULD NEVER PUT A PERSON IN A POT. IT'S A NICE IDEA, THOUGH. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE IT DO. I WANT TO SEE IT GET A LITTLE MORE PLAYFUL. A LITTLE SILLIER. A LITTLE SILLIER. IS IT GOING TO BEGIN COLORING NOW? YEAH. Alda: USING A PALETTE THAT IS ACTUALLY OH, I GUESS, WITH DRAWING PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR HOURS. Alda: SO WHILE THE ROBOT WORKED WE TOOK OUR CONVERSATION TO A QUIETER SPOT. WHY DO YOU WANT THE MACHINE TO PHYSICALLY LAY DOWN COLOR ON THE PAPER? I'M OLD-FASHIONED ENOUGH. I LIKE MY IMAGES TO STAY AROUND FOR A WHILE. I DON'T LIKE THEM SORT OF... ( makes whooshing noise ) NOW THEY'RE HERE, NOW THEY'RE NOT. ALSO... ACTUALLY, I ALMOST NEVER USE THE MACHINE IN MY STUDIO. IT'S USED MOSTLY IN EXHIBITIONS. AN EXHIBITION IS A THEATRICAL EVENT TO SOME DEGREE AND THE MACHINE IS PART OF THE THEATER OF THE THING. I MEAN, YOU'D BE AMAZED HOW MUCH MORE PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THE FACT THAT IT WASHES ITS OWN CUPS, FOR EXAMPLE THAN IN THE DRAWING IT'S MAKING. Alda: DURING OUR CONVERSATION, IT TURNED OUT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE TROUBLE FIGURING OUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAROLD AND AARON. Cohen: YOU'D BE AMAZED HOW DIFFICULT PEOPLE FIND IT TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S MADE BY A COMPUTER. YOU CAN TELL PEOPLE OVER AND OVER THAT I DID NOT MAKE THIS DRAWING AND THEY'LL STILL WALK OUT BELIEVING THAT YOU MADE THE DRAWING AND PUT IT INTO THE COMPUTER. YEAH, BUT WHEN I PRESS YOU ON THIS YOU DID MAKE THE DRAWING, YOU SAY. YOU WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF CIRCUITOUS ROUTES GETTING THE MACHINE TO DO IT FOR YOU, BUT... NO, BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WRITING A PROGRAM THAT KNOWS HOW TO DRAW AND WRITING A PROGRAM THAT KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A PARTICULAR DRAWING. SO THAT REALLY GETS DOWN TO THE NOTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. YOU'VE CREATED A LITTLE BUNDLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE THERE. WELL, I SUPPOSE, I MEAN, TO THE DEGREE THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE SOMEBODY OF MARKED INTELLIGENCE AND TALENT TO DO THE THINGS THE MACHINE CAN DO AUTONOMOUSLY. YES, I SUPPOSE I HAVE TO SAY I THINK IT IS. BUT IT IS PROBLEMATIC. I MEAN, YOU KNOW WE'VE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE IN HUMAN HISTORY. Alda: AS STRIKING AND ORIGINAL AS THE COMPUTER'S WORK MAY BE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER AARON OR HAROLD COHEN IS THE ARTIST TO BECOME AN ARTIST IN ITS OWN RIGHT THE COMPUTER WILL SOMEHOW HAVE TO LEARN WHAT EVERY HUMAN ARTIST HAS TO LEARN-- THAT IT LIKES WHAT IT'S DOING ENOUGH FOR IT TO CALL IT ART. DOES THIS MEAN THAT THE COMPUTER PROGRAM IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME IMPRESSION OF ITSELF? AND IS THAT POSSIBLE? IN PRINCIPLE, I THINK IT IS, YEAH. I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT. THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M NOT GOING TO WAKE UP ONE MORNING SOON AND THINK, "OF COURSE, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING. " THAT'S HOW THINGS HAPPEN, ISN'T IT? YEAH, YEAH. AND ONE DAY, THE MACHINE WILL WAKE UP. MAYBE ONE DAY THE MACHINE WILL WAKE UP AND SORT OF... "WHAT ARE YOU, STUPID? WHY DIDN'T YOU THINK OF THAT? " "HAROLD, I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU.

				Returned to Glory Scientists help historians conserve and restore sculptures, paintings and other artifacts of our nation’s heritage.
		Select text to jump ahead in the clip: THE MUSTERING OF THE FIRST ALL-BLACK VOLUNTEER REGIMENT IN THE U. S. ARMY, THE 54th MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS. LED BY A YOUNG WHITE OFFICER, COLONEL ROBERT GOULD SHAW THE 54th FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE FOR THE CONFEDERATE-HELD FORT WAGNER IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SHAW AND 87 OF HIS MEN WERE KILLED. THE HEROISM OF THE 54th INSPIRED THE RECENT MOVIE GLORY. Officer: FORWARD, MARCH! Alda: A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, IT INSPIRED ANOTHER MONUMENT-- A BRONZE STATUE THAT HAS BEEN CALLED THE FINEST MEMORIAL SCULPTURE EVER CREATED IN THE UNITED STATES. THE ARTIST OF THE SHAW MEMORIAL AS AUGUSTUS SAINT-GAUDENS AND TODAY'S CEREMONIES ARE TO COMMEMORATE THE UNVEILING OF HIS MASTERPIECE ON BOSTON COMMON. ( crowd cheering and applauding ) AMONG THE SPEAKERS HERE TO HAIL THE SCULPTURE AND THE MEN IT IMMORTALIZES IS GENERAL COLIN POWELL. Powell: I'M SO VERY HONORED TO BE WITH YOU ON THIS, THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THIS MARVELOUS MEMORIAL. I DOUBT IF BRONZE HAS EVER SPOKEN MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN IN THIS CELEBRATED WORK BY AUGUSTUS SAINT-GAUDENS. WHAT A POWERFUL IMAGE WE SEE BEFORE US-- THE PROUD, YOUNG, FATALISTIC COLONEL ROBERT GOULD SHAW AND HIS NEGRO SOLDIERS, HEADS HIGH, RIFLES ON THEIR SHOULDERS RESOLUTION IN THEIR EVERY STEP MARCHING SOUTHWARD WITH FORTITUDE LOOKING JUST AS THEY DID WHEN THEY PASSED THIS VERY SPOT ON THEIR WAY TO HOPE, ON THEIR WAY TO GLORY AND FOR MANY OF THEM, ON THEIR WAY TO DEATH. IT WAS AN OCCASION OF APOCALYPTIC IMAGERY WORTHY TO BE FOREVER REMEMBERED IN BRONZE. AND WE GIVE THANKS TO THE ARTISTRY OF SAINT-GAUDENS WHICH HAS WELL STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. Alda: SAINT-GAUDENS' ARTISTRY MAY HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME BUT HIS MASTERWORK HASN'T DONE SO WELL. A FEW YEARS AGO, IT WAS IN DANGER OF COLLAPSING ALTOGETHER BEFORE FUNDS WERE RAISED TO RESTORE IT. BUT THIS BRONZE VERSION OF THE SHAW MEMORIAL WASN'T THE ONLY ONE SAINT-GAUDENS MADE. HE ALSO CREATED A VERSION FOR HIMSELF, MADE OF PLASTER. THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS HAVEN'T BEEN KIND TO SAINT-GAUDENS' PERSONAL COPY OF THE "SHAW" BUT LIKE THE BRONZE, IT, TOO, IS TO BE RETURNED TO GLORY. Man: I THINK IT'S A GREAT WORK OF ART BECAUSE OF ITS CONTENT BECAUSE OF SORT OF THE POWER OF THE CONCEPTION AND WHAT IT MEANS HISTORICALLY. IT'S ALSO A GREAT WORK OF ART BECAUSE OF THE ARTISTIC CONCEPT A VERY DEEP RELIEF, VERY FREELY MODELED. IT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLY GRAND CONCEPTION AND CARRIED OUT WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF... I THINK, LOVE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL. Alda: THAT DETAIL HERE ON THE PLASTER "SHAW" HAS BEEN OBSCURED BY LAYER AFTER LAYER OF PAINT ACQUIRED DURING AN EXTRAORDINARY CENTURY OF WANDERING. THE SCULPTURE HAS BEEN TO PARIS AND BACK RECEIVED BOTH ACCOLADES AND NEGLECT DURING 40 YEARS IN BUFFALO, AND FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS HAS BEEN IN THE CARE OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AT THE ARTIST'S HOME IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. IT'S NOW CLIFF CRAINE'S JOB TO RESTORE THE PLASTER "SHAW" TO THE CONDITION SAINT-GAUDENS HIMSELF LEFT IT IN. HEY, CLIFF. Alda: AND IT'S SHELLEY STURMAN'S JOB TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT WAS; TO REDISCOVER SAINT-GAUDENS' VISION. THESE MUST BE THE PATCHES. THESE ARE THE PATCHES, AT LEAST SOME OF THEM-- A COUPLE AREN'T DONE YET-- BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE REMNANTS OF LEAF LEFT ON THE SURFACE... Alda: THE PATCHES ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW SAINT-GAUDENS MAY HAVE TREATED THE "SHAW'S" SURFACE. CLIFF HAS ALREADY CLEANED OFF MOST OF THE CENTURY'S WORTH OF PAINT, BUT BEFORE HE DID SHELLEY HAD SAMPLES TAKEN FROM VARIOUS PLACES IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER THE FINISH SAINT-GAUDENS HIMSELF HAD APPLIED. Craine: AND THESE ARE UNDER A FILL... HOW DID SCIENCE FIGURE IN THE RESTORATION HERE? WHAT WERE ALL THE SCIENTIFIC THINGS YOU HAD TO DO? WE GOT HEAVILY INVOLVED IN SCIENCE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE PIECE HAD BEEN TREATED AND RESTORED OVER THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS. AND WE WERE VERY, VERY EXCITED TO FIND THAT THERE WERE ACTUALLY AREAS ON THE PIECE THAT HAD THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF RESTORATION. WE FOUND 25 LAYERS OF PAINT AND GOLD LEAF AND BRASS LEAF AND NEW PLASTER. 25 LAYERS... 25 LAYERS. AND THAT MADE UP THE HISTORY OF RESTORATION. Alda: THAT HISTORY IS NOW GOING UNDER THE MICROSCOPE AT A LABORATORY AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART IN WASHINGTON, D. C. THAT IS OUR FIRST METAL APPLICATION. THIS LITTLE SPOT. RIGHT. SO THAT'S BELOW THE YELLOW. RIGHT, IT IS. Alda: SHELLEY AND HER COLLEAGUE, MICHAEL PALMER ARE PEERING BACK THROUGH THE 25 LAYERS OF RESTORATION TO FIND THE VERY BOTTOM LAYER, NEXT TO THE PLASTER ITSELF. IF WE START AT THE TOP AN