Archaeopteryx: A Ruby MIDI Generator [video]

A conference talk about making computers create music somehow turned into the kind of moment people remember for years. At RubyFringe, speaker Giles Bowkett unveiled Archaeopteryx, a tool that generates MIDI — a standard way electronic instruments and music software talk to each other — and wrapped it in a performance that was equal parts stand-up set, manifesto, and creative rallying cry. The official pitch painted it as revolutionary, hilarious, political, and surprisingly practical, which is already a lot for one stage appearance.

But the real plot twist is the community response: instead of a long, nerdy argument, the comments basically detonated into surrealist comedy. The loudest reaction we have is a three-word fever dream: "Hippos and sombreros." That’s it. No explanation, no notes, just pure chaos. And honestly? It perfectly matches the vibe of an avant-garde developer gathering where a musician-programmer-activist is showing off machine-made music like it might change the culture.

So was the crowd inspired, confused, delighted, or all three at once? From the tiny but unforgettable reaction on display, the answer seems to be yes. The hot take of the day isn’t a sober debate over software features — it’s that Bowkett’s presentation hit people on such a strange wavelength that the most memorable audience summary sounded like the start of an indie band, a hallucination, or the internet’s newest inside joke.