If you seek proof of the theory of evolution, consider They Might Be Giants. Over the course of three decades, the duo of John Linnell and John Flansburgh learned how to adapt and thrive in an increasingly hostile musical environment. TMBG diversified early and often, from its Dial-A-Song project and TV theme songs (Malcolm In The Middle) to podcasts and, more recently, a string of successful children’s albums, books and DVDs. TMBG’s latest children’s album, Here Comes Science, is a fun and surprisingly educational foray into the world of elements, planets, photosynthesis, electric cars and, yes, evolution. The duo is guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with Linnell.
Linnell: We went to the TED conference in Monterey, Calif., a few years ago and witnessed what for me was a very moving presentation about the pictures and scientific discoveries recently made by Carolyn Porco and her team, who have been photographing and monitoring the planet Saturn and its various satellites. As she said during the talk, the highlight of the mission, landing a probe on Titan (Saturn’s largest and weirdest moon), is an event that should have been celebrated with ticker-tape parades across the USA and Europe. I still get a little choked up listening to her concluding statement about Earth’s place in the cosmos.
