(lively music)
- Ok, when's the last time you had
a song stuck in your head?
I mean, we've all been there.
You know what I'm talking about.
These snatches of song
infiltrating your thoughts
are known as ear worms, and according to
University of Cincinnati's James Kellaris,
99% of us have fallen prey to them
at one time or another,
so virtually everybody.
Don't get too worried,
these are not actual
parasites that crawl into
your ear and lay music eggs
in your brain or do some
kind of Wrath of Khan thing,
but they do get lodged in your head
and cause a sort of a cognitive itch,
for lack of a better
phrase, a need for the brain
to fill in the gaps in the song's rhythm.
When we listen to a
song, it triggers a part
of the brain called the auditory cortex.
Researchers at Dartmouth
University found that
when they played part of a familiar song
to research subjects, the
participants' auditory cortex
automatically filled in the rest.
In other words, their brains kept singing
after the song had ended, and
the only way to, you know,
scratch this brain itch is to
repeat the song in your mind.
Unfortunately, this is
like a mosquito bite.
The more you scratch, the
more you itch, cognitively.
Researchers also aren't
sure why some songs
are more ear wormy than others,
but we know a little bit
about the type of song
most likely to worm
its way into your mind.
These songs often have
a simple, upbeat melody,
catchy, repetitive lyrics, and a surprise,
like an extra beat or an unusual rhythm.
These are the same factors
that made the songs
or jingles popular in the first place,
like Chili's and, "Baby
back, baby back, baby back",
the baby back rib thing.
They didn't pay me to say that.
So, if you have a song stuck
in your head right now,
I feel for you guys, but unfortunately,
there's no silver bullet to
get songs out of your head
once they're stuck in there.
But the good news is
most ear worms eventually
crawl out on their own, but
if a song is nagging you
to the brink of insanity right now,
here are a few things
you can try to shake it.
One, sing another song, or
listen to a different one,
or play another melody on an instrument.
Listen to the song all the way through.
This works for some
people, or you could share
the song with a friend,
although they might
not be your friend after you infect them.
And no need to worry if you keep
getting songs stuck in your head.
This does not mean there's
anything wrong with you.
However, if you actually
hear music that is not there,
instead of just thinking about it,
see a psychologist or some other
mental health professional.
This could be a sign of
endomusia, an obsessive condition
in which people hear music
that really isn't playing.
So, what's the worst song that you
have had stuck in your head?
I have one, personally, but
I don't want to call it up,
you know what I mean?
Thanks for watching.
Let me know about your
ear worms in the comments,
and while you're down
there, make it official
if you like this video, toss me a like,
and be sure to tune in
for more brain stuff.
