Imagine learning how to read and play music for the first time. It starts with a series of dots and lines thrown around on a piece of paper. Soon you learn how to interpret these so-called notes. You assign a letter name to each note, and then you figure out how to produce that note […]
George Bernard Shaw is credited for saying, “England and America are two countries divided by a common language.” It is not clear whether or not he actually said that, but the sentiment is clear that people have a tendency to place judgement or discrimination on the basis of accent or dialect. Accent is the way […]
Music has long been the inspiration for many directions of cognitive science research. Music has a special connection with the brain that makes us ask pivotal questions, such as: How do we know that music is music when we hear it? Why does music evoke emotional responses? And why do we associate Mariah Carey and […]
When you sit down at the end of a long day and turn on Netflix, do you turn the subtitles on? If so, you are joined by many other viewers who prefer watching television and movies with the closed captions feature. In 2006, the Office of Communications in the UK found that 7.5 million people […]
The awkward greeting. We’ve all seen it. Many of us have participated in it. For some, it may be a daily occurrence. This could happen when you go in for a high-five but the other person fist bumps. Or when you wave at someone who is actually waving to a person behind you. Or when […]
Warning: Some of the words in this post may be considered offensive. One beauty of the English language is the seemingly infinite possibilities when it comes to making new words. People seem to get especially creative when they’re coming up with new phrases for insults and curse words—the type of language that tends to be […]
Ever notice how speed texting seems to be a young person’s game? Most Gen Zs and Millennials send messages from their smart phones much faster than their parents and grandparents. As such, tech companies have created settings specifically to make smart phone use easier for the elderly. One explanation is that tactile acuity declines as […]
Certain songs have a way of getting into your head and staying there for a while. We’ve covered the cognitive side of earworms before. These songs that haunt us tend to have a recognizable tempo or beat—usually one that we can move to. Lady Gaga has given us a number of earworms, including Poker Face, […]