brain with music notes

TRBQ: Why Does Music Move Us?

TRBQ: The Really Big Questions | Apr 24, 2014

Music is one of the most ubiquitous forces in the world, permeating every culture without explanation as to why we are so affected by its touch. There's a reason why humans create music and why it's so heavily embedded into our lives -- but that reason isn't too clear. In this episode of "The Really Big Questions," musicians and researchers attempt to explain the impact of music on the human brain.

Hear from a range of guests with wide expertise in the field:

 

  • Jazz guitarist Pat Martino who lost his memory after neurosurgery and retaught himself how to play
  • Neuroscience researcher Psyche Loui at Wesleyan University who studies chills and strong emotional responses to intense aesthetic experiences like music
  • Petr Janata from UC Davis who is interested in how we "groove" to music
  • Steven Pinker, linguist and evolutionary psychologist

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