"Mozart Effect" Has A Molecular Basis 88
pingbak writes "The 'Mozart effect,' where students were observed performing better after being exposed to a Mozart sonata, appears to have a basis in reality. According to New Scientist, two researchers have found the underlying biomechanics in mice stimulated by the effect. They don't know the details why Mozart's sonatas really cause this effect, but they know where to look. Guess I'm going to have to switch Shoutcast streams now..."
Underlying biomechanics? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Duh. (Score:3, Insightful)
Mozart can't be that special... (Score:3, Insightful)
Specifics ? (Score:2, Insightful)
And while we're at it, shouldn't we examine what makes them so powerful ? We certainly have no shortage of great minds: every University and College *I know of* has an incredibly grueling music theory degree, and after taking a simple piano appreciation class, this CS student knows better than to take any more music courses regarding song analysis!
PS - (I'm actually *shocked* no one has said it yet, but... this story reminds me of Neal Stephen's book, Snowcrash !)
The science of beauty... (Score:2, Insightful)
The point to be taken is that the physical and spiritual are tightly integrated in human being, such that an influence on one necessarily affects the other. Styles or categories of music affect us differently. It's universally recognized that some music relaxes us, while another type gets us pumped up. Given this, it seems hyper-logical to me, to the extent that it's really boggling that we even question it's validity.
The only explanation I can think of is that maybe we don't want to admit that we have tastes that don't contribute to our fullest potential, and that recognizing such would imply some responsibility to reassess our listening habits?
On a related vein of thought, there is the argument that there is an objectiveness to beauty, and the beauty has degrees. Assuming it to be true, this certainly is related to the above.
"The qualities of measure and proportion invariably constitute beauty and excellence."
Plato (Philebus).
Re:Mozart can't be that special... (Score:3, Insightful)
I tend to agree. Someone mentioned Juno Reactor - a good case in point; it's techno that features lots of interwoven beats, three or four different strands of music being played simultaneously, and I find I'm more productive when listening to it.
As for rap, ditto. Hip-hop today grates on me - I can't even read for comprehension when someone's blaring it within earshot - and the music seems to be engineered to maximize the range of "earshot" per decibel.
That wasn't always the case. Old-school (thinking Public Enemy, ca. 1987-1989) rap used to feature a lot of sampling/looping and very strange/innovative rhythms. Try You Gonna Get Yours or She Watch Channel Zero for a taste. Once the lawsuits started flying and sampling was effectively banned (Caught, Can I Get a Witness?), rap slid into a downward creative spiral that's culminated into today's simple basslines that appear to function only as a broadcast of territorial markers: "This is our territory now, and if you think you can listen to your music - even in headphones - while you're in our territory, think again."
I'd love to do a study that correlates the reinforcement of stereotypical black culture with the influx of major record label interest in hip-hop music. I mean, who benefits most from the portrayal of "yo, fuck da ho's, kill whitey, bein' a thug iz all u can hope 2 be" as "authentic" black culture?
Hint: It sure as fuck ain't the blacks.