Private Passions - Philip Ball

Michael Berkeley's guest this week is the science writer Philip Ball, author of a range of popular books on scientific and aesthetic subjects such as 'Elegant Solutions: Ten Beautiful Experiments in Chemistry'; 'Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Colour'; 'Nature's Patterns: A Tapestry in Three Parts', and 'Universe of Stone: Chartres Cathedral and the Triumph of the Medieval Mind'. His latest book is 'The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can't Do Without It', which explores how the latest research in music psychology and brain science is piecing together the puzzle of how we understand and respond to music. He discusses his ideas with Michael Berkeley, using a range of personal musical favourites from a Bach Prelude to a piano concerto by Bartok, a piano sonata by Prokofiev, Stravinsky's Tango for two accordions, and a jazz number by Duke Ellington.