The Power of Sound and Music
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This week we're exploring the science of sound and music. We sound out the human voice, hear why we all talk differently, and probe the origins of accents and the means by which impersonators mimic their victims. Also, we discover how a tune can act like cocaine in your brain and why, in some cultures, music can replace a lawyer! Also, we hear what's going on in the brains of Jazz musicians as they improvise, see how hungry sharks are similar to shoppers and find out why a big brown bat needs magnetic bat-nav. Plus, in kitchen science we discover the musical secrets of plastic bottles!
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I’ve just been on holiday and I’ve noticed a hand dryer in the toilets. They always seem to claim that the hand dryers are greener than the paper towels. Has anyone, except the hand dryer companies, of course, actually done any studies on this?
Discover the musical properties of a few old bottles...
The human voice is a versatile tool, and changes dramatically throughout life. David Howard studies the voice...
How does your brain respond to music? Meera spoke to Professor Daniel Levitin...
Is music just there for pleasure, or does it have a role to fulfil? We spoke to Dr Ian Cross...
Why does music move us to tears?
I’m interested in meditation and I’ve noticed that when mediating or journeying with shamanic drumming that my eyes do something a bit like REM movement and I’m wondering if that has something to do with the sound or this particular sound and rhythm?
Is it true that there’s a sound that makes people want to go for a number 2? (sometimes known as the 'Brown Note')
I understand that fingerprints are very useful because they provide the ability to grip surfaces better as well as be identified. I was wondering about the wrinkles you see on animals. Do they effectively have a fingerprint pattern in the same way, specifically marine creatures...
After spending a few days underground in a cave I became anxious about the following question. As I know soluble rocks like limestone are soluble in liquid containing CO2 which comes from the atmosphere. This takes about 30cm of rock every two millenniums. If we take into account...
I have Asperger’s and experience sensory overload. I’m very distracted by repetitive sounds but when I do this or sing myself I’m not bothered by it. So why should that be?
Some people have a certain kind of voice that when I listen to them make me feel so relaxed that I can go on listening to them forever. Chris and Helen’s voices do this.
Why when you chew spearmint gum does your mouth feel cold afterwards?
What happens to the note a bottle makes when you squash it? What would happen if you then put it underwater? Find out in this kitchen science.
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