Can listening to music make you more productive at work?

Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Anna Fiveash, Western Sydney University Listening to music can enhance our lives in all kinds of ways – many of us use it during exercise, to regulate our mood, or in the workplace. But can listening to background music while you work really make you more productive? It’s a controversial topic. Some people swear by it, others find it painfully distracting. The research agrees there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The best way to use music in the workplace depends on several factors, including your personality traits, what you’re doing, and what kind of music you’re listening to. Here’s how to find out what works best for you. Who you are Your personality has a key influence on whether background music can boost productivity or be distracting in the workplace, which relates to your unique optimal level of arousal. Arousal in this context relates to mental alertness, and the readiness of the brain to process new information. Background music can increase it. Research suggests that being at an optimal level of arousal facilitates a state of “flow”, enhancing performance and productivity. Introverts may need less external stimulus – such as music – to focus well. Ground Picture/ShutterstockIntroverts already have a high baseline level of internal arousal. Adding background...

Read More........→December 03, 2024

Children Do Much Better in Math When Music is Added to the Lesson: New Study

Photos by Crissy Jarvis (left) and Ben MullinsA new study explored the causal role that music engagement has on student achievement in mathematics—and they found a significant benefit. Researchers believe that music can make math more enjoyable, keep students engaged, and help ease their fear or anxiety about topics like fractions. The addition of music may even motivate kids to appreciate math and want to learn more. A typical technique for integrating music into math lessons for young children involves clapping to songs with different rhythms learning numbers, and equating fractions to musical notes. The new meta-analysis published in the journal Educational Studies analyzed 55 studies from around the world, involving almost 78,000 students, from kindergarten to university age. Three types of musical interventions were included: typical music lessons in which children sing, listen to, and learn about composing music; learning how to play instruments alone or as part of a band; and music-math integrated interventions, where music was integrated into math lessons. Students took math tests before and after taking part in the intervention, and the change in their scores was compared with those who didn’t take part in any intervention. The use of music—whether in separate lessons or as part of math classes—caused a greater improvement...

Read More........→April 16, 2024

“Mozart effect”, or can music make you smarter?

Much has been written on the “Mozart effect” - the theory that classical music can stimulate the listener's brain and make them cleverer. Further studies however have refuted the finding and have allegedly proved that the only real benefit to be gained from listening to music is pleasure. It now seems that this enjoyment could be of particular importance where health is concerned. The “Mozart effect” has long been used as a marketing ploy to sell educational toys or child development materials such as CDs and DVDs. The basic idea was that children who listened to Mozart's music received a "brain boost" to improve their IQ. However, this theory is little more than a medical fairytale. According to Dr. Jessica Grahn, a cognitive scientist at Western University in London, Ontario: “The Mozart effect is a media-driven myth. One study in 1992 showed that undergraduate students who listened to Mozart before a test did better than students who sat in silence or listened to a relaxation tape.” Despite its appeal, the effect has never been confirmed by further studies. As Jessica Grahn said in an interview with the ‘Voice of Russia’: “Later studies showed that this improvement probably had nothing to do with Mozart at all, but instead happens anytime we do something that boosts mood and arousal.” In fact a beneficial effect might indeed...

Read More........→December 23, 2013

Birdsong study pecks theory that music is uniquely human

Sometimes he sounds like music to her ears. Other times, not so much.  By Carol Clark, A bird listening to birdsong may experience some of the same emotions as a human listening to music, suggests a new study on white-throated sparrows, published in Frontiers of Evolutionary Neuroscience. “We found that the same neural reward system is activated in female birds in the breeding state that are listening to male birdsong, and in people listening to music that they like,” says Sarah Earp, who led the research as an undergraduate at Emory University. For male birds listening to another male’s song, it was a different story: They had an amygdala response that looks similar to that of people when they hear discordant, unpleasant music. The study, co-authored by Emory neuroscientist Donna Maney, is the first to compare neural responses of listeners in the long-standing debate over whether birdsong is music. “Scientists since the time of Darwin have wondered whether birdsong and music may serve similar purposes, or have the same evolutionary precursors,” Earp notes. “But most attempts to compare the two have focused on the qualities of the sound themselves, such as melody and rhythm.” Earp’s curiosity was sparked while an honors student at Emory, majoring in both neuroscience and music. She took “The Musical Brain” course developed...

Read More........→February 03, 2013

Doing the math for how songbirds learn to sing

A baby house finch and its father. Just like humans, baby birds learn to vocalize by listening to adults. By Carol Clark, Scientists studying how songbirds stay on key  have developed  a  statistical  explanation for why some things are harder for the brain to learn than others. “We’ve built the first mathematical model that  uses a bird’s previous sensorimotor experience to predict its ability to learn,” says Emory biologist Samuel Sober. “We hope it will help us understand the math of learning in other species, including humans.” Sober conducted the research with physiologist Michael Brainard of the University of California, San Francisco. Their results, showing that adult birds correct small errors in their songs more rapidly and robustly than large errors, were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Sober’s lab uses Bengalese finches as a model for researching the mechanisms of how the brain learns to correct vocal mistakes. Just like humans, baby birds learn to vocalize by listening to adults. Days after hatching, Bengalese finches start imitating the sounds of adults. “At first, their song is A Bengalese finch outfitted with headphones. Research on how the birds learn to sing may lead to better human therapies for vocal rehabilitation. extremely...

Read More........→January 29, 2013

BlueAnt Ribbon streams your music wirelessly

Enjoying the music on the go is always fun, and today we have a device that will let you enjoy in music wirelessly wherever you go. BlueAnt has announced its latest multi-functional Ribbon music streamer that  lets you stream music via Bluetooth to any speaker. In addition, Ribbon doubles as a headset, because you can attach it to your shirt and connect your headphones to it, so you can enjoy in music while on the go. Ribbon works as a Bluetooth 3.0 receiver, and it comes with 3.5mm  stereo output, so you can easily connect it to any speaker system that has 3.5mm AUX input, using the AUX cable. We have to mention that   Ribbon comes with a built-in microphone, so you can use it to for calls as well. As for streaming, Ribbon is using Apt-X technology, and the device itself comes with volume control and playback buttons.In addition, if you’re using Ribbon with Android or iOS device, you can use it to listen to your text messages. This music streamer will provide you with six hours of play time, and up to 250 hours of standby time, and as for the recharge, it takes less than two hours for battery to recharge completely. BlueAnt Ribbon music streamer should be available soon for $69. Source:...

Read More........→January 18, 2013

Google patents smart glasses

Google has received three patents for a “wearable display device” which appear to be the foundation for its most talked about latest technology gadget – Project Glass augmented reality glasses. The new glasses could be used much the way a smart phone is by corresponding with friends, listening to music, and searching information. They can also be used as a navigator. Engineers behind Project Glass say that early tests show the glasses are best suited for taking and sharing photos. So far there is no information as to when the new gadget will hit the stores and for how much. Earlier reports said the smart galsses would be commericially available by the end of this year. RIA,  Source; Voice of Russi...

Read More........→January 10, 2013

US research says mice can 'sing'

Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, US, have found that mice can ‘sing’ like a choir by matching the pitch of their voice to that of others. The experiment shows that when two male mice of different types are housed together, they slowly began to match the pitch of their songs to each other. The finding contradicts a long-held assumption that mice cannot learn to adapt their voices – a trait thought to be common only to humans, bats and a handful of bird and large mammal species. Although it was previously known that mice make an ultrasonic noise referred to as a “song” to attract mates, it had never been demonstrated that they were capable of changing pitch. The Telegraph, TASS, Source: Voice of Russi...

Read More........→December 02, 2012

Now, a musical app that listens to your heart during exercise

Researchers have designed a new "Musical Heart" that enables your smartphone to select music to get your heart pumping during workout. The biofeedback-based system developed by a University of Virginia graduate researcher helps smartphones select music that will help get their owners' heart pumping during exercise and slow it down when they want to cool down or relax. "Whether I am driving, jogging, travelling or relaxing – I never find the appropriate music to listen to," said Shahriar Nirjon, a doctoral student in computer science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. "I believe there are many like me. The problem is: The heart wants to hear something, but our music player does not understand the need. My joy was in connecting them together - in a non-invasive and cost-effective way," Nirjon said. Called "Musical Heart", the system "brings together wellness and entertainment," Nirjon said in a statement. Musical Heart works by merging a microphone that detects the pulse in arteries in the ear with earphones that bring in music from a playlist on a smartphone. An app selects tunes that optimise the heart rate of an individual user based on a given activity, whether running, walking or relaxing - playing fast-paced music for hard workouts, and slowing the beat for cool-downs. An...

Read More........→November 15, 2012

Music lessons boost brain, slow aging

By Kerry Ludlam, Woodruff Health Sciences Center It turns out mom was right. Music lessons are good for you, and those benefits may last a lifetime. A recent study conducted by Brenda Hanna-Pladdy, a clinical neuropsychologist in Emory's School of Medicine, offers additional evidence that musical instrumental training, when compared to other activities, may reduce the effects of memory decline and cognitive aging. This is the second study published by Hanna-Pladdy, which confirms and refines findings from an original study published in Neuropsychology in 2011 that revealed that musicians with at least 10 years of instrumental musical training remained cognitively sharp in advanced age. The new findings were published in the July issue of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. “The study confirms that musical activity preserves cognition as we age, by comparing variability in cognitive outcomes of older adults active in musical instrumental and other leisure activities,” says Hanna-Pladdy. “A range of cognitive benefits, including memory, was sustained for musicians between the ages of 60-80 if they played for at least 10 years throughout their life, confirming that maintenance of advantages is not reliant on continued activity. In other words, you don’t use it or lose it. Nonetheless, the study highlighted the...

Read More........→August 17, 2012

Amazon Fish In Illinois Lake: South American relative of piranha being caught by fishermen

Writing in his Outdoor blog, Grind TV's Pete Thomas noted another example of an aquarium fish potentially becoming an invasive species due to the careless or irresponsible actions of an home aquarium owner. In the Amazon River there lives the pacu, a relative of the piranha. The pacu has a similar shape to the piranha but can grow to be much larger, weighing in at over 50 pounds. And also similar to the piranha are its set of teeth, but with an interesting twist. They look more like a set of human molars as the pacu primarily feeds on nuts and seeds which it crushes and grinds up with its teeth and powerful jaws. Because of its piranha-like appearance but less than hostile manner, the pacu pops up in aquariums around the world from time to time. But as it ultimately outgrows most home habitats, they sometimes find themselves cast aside in local rivers or lakes. As supposed herbivores, it would possibly seem that the pacu would be a harmless addition, but there apparently are reports of this fish being responsible for the deaths of two men in Papua New Guinea by castrating them - eeyeowch! So, it is with a measure of concern to city officials, residents and tourists, as we enter the warm summer months, that pacus were reportedly being caught by fishermen in Lake Lou Yaeger in Illinois. With more...

Read More........→July 29, 2012

Gadgets for video thrills, rich kids and fat fingers

  By JESS MANTELL, Whether you are big, small, active or lazy, here is your monthly round-up with a little something for everyone.  JVC action-video camera: Now to catch the potentially viral video snippets of life, you really need to always have the camera rolling — which can be tough when your hands are full of luggage, coffee or handlebars. JVC has just announced a tiny, yet durable, action camera to catch it all. The new JVC GC-XA1 ADIXXION can be taken anywhere as it is truly palm-sized and weighs a mere 126 grams. The ADIXXION is up for any of your year-round adventures and doesn't require any additional casing to keep it safe as it's ready to go straight out of the box. It's waterproof up to 5 meters, dust-proof (so you can take it to Burning Man), freeze-proof (so it's good for treks up Everest), and it can withstand being dropped from 2 meters, presumably without the weight of a person or other equipment falling on top of it. In addition to its tough construction, the ADIXXION offers a lot of great technical features. It has built-in Wi-Fi, a 1.5-inch LCD screen, image stabilizer, HD recording capabilities, and it can take 5 megapixel stills. All video shot with the ADIXXION is recorded as QuickTime-compatible MP4 files which can be sent directly to a PC, smartphone or cloud service using the the...

Read More........→July 27, 2012

Buckingham Palace gets projection mapping makeover for Queen's Jubilee celebration

Projection mapping on London's Buckingham Palace topped off celebrations, for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, that saw Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Paul McCartney take to the stage in front of the royal dwelling. Software developer, d3 provided video mapping and playback of video using 36 Barco HD projectors, provided by XL Video UK. The show, that used d3’s advanced projection simulation toolkit, was designed by Durham Marenghi, with further architectural lighting provided by Neg Earth. Steve Greetham, project manager at XL Events, specified and supplied equipment and crew, both for the projection mapping onto Buckingham Palace, and the onstage wraparound LED screens and IMAG cameras for the concert stage. This was built around the Queen Victoria Monument in front of the Palace. XL Events supplied a total of 36 Barco FLM HD 20K projectors arranged in 6 stacks of 6, 12 Barco Image Pros and 2 Lightware DVI matrice. The company also provided approximately 600 tiles of Pixled FX-11 LED, which formed the large wraparound screen on the main crown-shaped concert stage. A 3D model of the building was created using a laser scanner which was used by Nils Porrmann, a 3D modeller and artist, to set up the d3 stage. Sam Pattinson, creative director of Treatment Studio, commissioned a number of animators...

Read More........→June 10, 2012

Skoda to Debut Citigo Rally and DJ Concepts at the 2012 Wörthersee Tour

Carscoop: This week's 2012 Wörthersee Tour will see Skoda revealing two new concept cars of its Citigo mini, which is based on the Volkswagen Up!. For the time being, we only get a single sketch of Skoda's study for a Citigo Rally car that will boast a widened body with flared wheel arches housing 18-inch alloy wheels, a roof scoop and a large rear wing along with a race-spec interior featuring a protective roll cage. The Czech automaker's second concept vehicle will be the Citigo DJ, which as its name suggests, will be transformed into a mobile music station. Skoda said that the DJ will keep visitors entertained throughout the event, which runs from May 16 to 19 at lake Wörthersee in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia. Source: Carscoo...

Read More........→June 04, 2012

Justin Bieber+Lady Gaga to Portray Aliens in Men in Black 3

Kevork Djansezian / Kevin Winter, Getty Images By: Cristin Maher, Mac's UFO News: ‘Men in Black 3′ star Will Smith already spilled the beans that Lady Gaga would be making a cameo in the third installment of the extraterrestrial movie franchise, but now the word on the street is that Justin Bieber has been added to the list of ‘MIB 3′ celebrity cameos. The best part? Bieber and Gaga aren’t set to play just themselves, but aliens from another planet! According to a report from Star Pulse, the Biebs and Mother Monster will portray “aliens who sit on a surveillance board, alongside kooky filmmaker Tim Burton.” Could this really get any better? Gaga and Burton are definitely eccentric, so seeing them as aliens in a film doesn’t seem all that out of the norm, but adding Bieber to this mix will surely make for an extra interesting scene. ‘MIB 3′ director Barry Sonnenfeld talked about their cameos, saying, “In this (installment) there are a few people that you’ll see up on the surveillance board including Lady Gaga, Tim Burton, who probably knows more about aliens than I do, and let’s see who else… Justin Bieber.” We can’t wait to see this! We wonder if Bieber will have an extra head like Johnny Knoxville did in the second film, or if Gaga will turn into some kind of dazzling...

Read More........→May 01, 2012

Music helps keep brain young

Credit: iStockphoto/LindaYolandaeScienceCommons: Senior citizens who took music lessons as children for at least 10 years score higher on tests of memory and decision-making ability than non-musicians. In the video below, NBC Chicago reports on the findings by Emory neuropsychologist Brenda Hanna-Pladdy and the University of Kansas. “It’s...

Read More........→April 23, 2012