Why Music Sticks in Our Brains

Hurricane season is upon us and it turns out that these powerful storms can quickly affect the biology of animals. After hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the islands that make up Turks and Caicos about a decade ago, the silver key anole adapted. They now have a shorter fourth toe on ...  Show more

Summer is winding down and school is back. And all of that has us thinking about this idea that something happens in the human brain when we turn 25. Suddenly, we can rent a car without fees. Make rational decisions. We may even regret some of our past… indiscretions. All because ...  Show more

Have you ever had a song continue to loop in your brain no matter how hard you tried to shake it? These “earworms” are more than just an annoyance—they’re a phenomenon scientists have studied for years. This episode dives into what makes certain melodies stick, why some tunes are ...  Show more

We all know music can influence our moods, but can it actually boost our memory? How do musical memories emerge at the borders of identity, experience and culture? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe explore these questions and discuss the curious ways we r ...  Show more

Why do some songs get stuck in our heads? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith explores the psychology of earworms. Ginny hears about the possible evolutionary reasons for why ...

You have probably experienced an ‘earworm’ - a catchy bit of music that plays round and round in your head and won’t go away – at least for a short while. But why did it pop up in the first place and how did it get stuck?

CrowdScience listener Ryota in Japan wants us to ...