Scientists Discuss Music and the Origins of Language

[mopinko]

i dont know about u, but i love brains.
this is a fascinating discussion. long but worth it.

Did early humans sing before they could talk? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discover how music helps us recall memories, the singing Neanderthal theory. the default mode network, and how music can be used as medicine with neuroscientist and bestselling author, Daniel Levitin.

Would we have been able to communicate with aliens using music like in Close Encounters of a Third Kind? We explore Levitin’s new book I Heard There Was A Secret Chord which explores how music not only enriches our lives but also impacts our brains, behavior, and health.

We discuss how music can be a source of pleasure and how it captivates us—ever wonder why certain songs get stuck in your head? We explore how music has been a critical form of communication for thousands of years, predating written language, and how it helps encode knowledge and transmit information across generations. From ancient bone flutes to modern-day symphonies, why does music hold such a powerful place in human history?

We also dig into music's therapeutic powers—how it can boost cognitive reserves, help Parkinson's patients walk, relieve pain, and even enhance memory. Did you know that music has the power to activate every part of your brain? Whether you're soothing a baby with a lullaby or summoning old memories through a favorite song, the impact of music is profound. Levitin explains how music therapy is being explored as a potential solution to alleviate neurological afflictions like multiple sclerosis and Tourette syndrome.

Learn about the relationship between music and the brain’s "default mode network"—the state your brain enters when it’s at rest or wandering. We explore memory retrieval and how it’s tied to music’s ability to trigger unique, specific memories.

Discover why certain songs can transport us back to vivid moments in our past, acting as powerful cues for recalling experiences. We discuss how music persists beyond memory-related conditions like Alzheimer's, as seen in the case of Tony Bennett, who, despite the progression of the disease, retained the ability to perform his beloved songs. This connection between music, memory, and neural activation offers exciting possibilities for therapeutic applications in the future.

[rampartd]

1. archaeacoustics

studies the acoustics of caves and megaliths (stonehenge and such). if this is accidental it is certainly fortuitous

https://www.ub.edu/artsoundscapes/the-acoustics-of-palaeolithic-caves-a-research-polyphony/

the earliest instruments used in communications, drums, are still in use today. by tribal humans and chimps and probably macaques.

thanks for posting this interview. now i want to make my own bone flute.

[mopinko]

2. i'm trying to learn piano.

i started voice lessons at 65. i’ve been on break for a while, as i’ve been sick. but it’s been great. i love my coach and our 1 hr of ft a week was therapy for both of us. i also traced my family tree and fell down the irish music rabbit hole. learned about 100 songs.

i’ve allegedly been trying to learn piano. mostly i’m avoiding it. it requires me to grapple w my ignorance on the subject, which, at my age, i dont have to do often. it peeves me.
i’ve been actually trying lately. this bouys my resolve. i put a deposit on a narrow key elec piano that will be delivered this summer. that will help.
i also bought a crazy antique piano that i cant find a mechanic for. i absolutely have to get at least conversant b4 that gets done and delivered. (it’s still at the antique store. a good friend who enjoys having it shining in her store, but…)

i knew a lot of this stuff, but it’s still fun to hear ppl talk about it. of course, lots of stuff i didnt know.

[rampartd]

4. my masters was in applied physics, mostly acoustics

i was doing sonar and underwater acoustics for the navy

at 72 i found a violin in the trash and am trying to learn to play, maybe i'll be able to hit a clear c note if i keep trying. my ambition is to play "love in bloom" (jack benny's theme song)

no, this does not get easy with age, but i think keeping alert and active until our social security stops coming in might help.

[mopinko]

5. doing new stuff is how u stay young.

relatively speaking, anyway.

[et tu]

3. fascinating

i dabble in clay flutes and whistles, as in the americas' flutes and
and whistling pots and how they trigger different brain waves, so
much we are still learning~