Illusions are fascinating phenomena that almost everyone has likely experienced at one point or another in their lives, leaving them utterly bewildered and baffled as to how seemingly unreal effects or situations suddenly become very real. In fact, even researchers who devote themselves to studying various aspects of these phenomena are left perplexed and with…
Month: May 2020
How does art affect us?
It’s no secret that art can impact lots of people’s lives in very meaningful and deep ways. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” can attest to this much at the very least. Whether you think art is paint on a canvas or scenes from the nature that surrounds you, what we as a…
Illusions of Sound
Ever since I’ve been at home from school, I’ve had much more time to spend with my family. One of our favorite things to do together is watch the TV show “America’s Got Talent”. We literally have hundreds of recorded episodes just for the purpose of watching reruns together. One night we were watching this…
Music Therapy for Mood and Neurological Disorders
Mood disorders are a cause of disability across the world, and their prevalence is increasing rapidly through time. They can be debilitating for the people whom they affect, and can control one’s life. There are treatments for mood disorders, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression which maintain a greater concentration of serotonin in…
The Imprint of Dance on the Brain
When I was a young boy, I used to tap my way through any and every dance floor. I danced so much that even as a four year old, I became an automatic hit for dancing to multiple songs at a wedding in England. I have always been told that I am a good dancer;…
Dance on the Brain!
Dance can be defined as a unique set of movements that coincide with the rhythm of the music. Professional dancers train approximately six to seven hours a day for 6 days a week, and even more time is dedicated for rehearsals when there are upcoming performances. On performance days, after warming up, professional ballerinas will attend…
Food and Brain Health
Let’s talk about food. It’s not an unpopular opinion to like, or even be obsessed with food. And most people strive to eat the things that they find the most delicious. Also, most everyone knows that foods that are processed and high in fat are not the best for your body. However, I found it…
How do we taste?
In the chapter 3 Auguste Escoffier, The Essence of Taste from the novel Proust was a neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer, the famous discovery of a fifth taste is explained. Kikunae Ikeda discovered that the tongue is not only able to taste food that is sour, bitter, sweet, and salty but as well umami, which means…
Music and Memory
Honestly, I don’t think most people can say that they know their favorite song with 100% confidence, but for the sake of this blog post, let’s pretend that if you are reading this, you are able to come to a decision. Encoded along with the lyrics and/or music are experiences, memories, and researchers have found…
The Lullaby Effect
Music can have a special and unique effect on us like no other. For me, I am constantly surrounded by music. Whether I am getting ready for the day, studying for exams, or just hanging out with my friends, I am almost always listening to music. Even right now as I am typing this blog…