Podcast Summary: Medical Mysteries of Music – The Sixth Edition

Ongoing History of New Music with Alan Cross
Release Date: November 5, 2025

Main Theme

This episode of Ongoing History of New Music, hosted by Alan Cross, explores the fascinating, sometimes bizarre ways music intersects with human biology, neurology, and psychology. Alan investigates medical mysteries such as why music triggers strong memories, why some get songs stuck in their heads, unusual music-related phenomena like amusia, and many quirky scientific discoveries on how music impacts our minds and bodies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Does Music Exist? (00:40–03:07)

• Alan opens by questioning the evolutionary role of music, noting its mysterious necessity since humans can live without it, but life would be “pretty dull.”
• Neurobiology of music:
  • Auditory cortex processes sound and melodies; also stores musical memories.
  • Hippocampus links music memories to emotions.
  • Notable fact: Musical memories can survive even as other memories fade with dementia, since the medial prefrontal cortex—where music memories also reside—is one of the last brain regions affected by neurodegeneration.
  • Quote (01:30):
    Alan Cross: “Our brains come hardwired for music... There are at least six separate parts of the brain that deal with music, and they all work together.”

2. Music’s Immediate Effect on Memory (03:07–05:30)

• Alan uses a rocked-up cover of Madonna’s "Music" by Out of Your Mouth as an example, describing a flood of personal memories triggered by the song.
• Quote (04:09):
  Alan Cross: “It all came back in milliseconds just by hearing that song. If I had been in an FMRI machine to measure my brain activity, my audio cortex would have lit up.”

3. Social & Emotional Benefits of Music (05:30–08:47)

• Music can make us feel a range of emotions, prompt us to move, bring us together, and even stave off loneliness.
• Study reference: Listening to music alone can provide the sense of social connection—music acts as a "social surrogate" to keep our “social fuel tank” full.
• Quote (06:46):
  Alan Cross: “Music also fills up our social fuel tank.”

4. Circadian Rhythms and Musical Tastes (08:47–10:35)

• Research from Denmark (Spotify data): People’s music choices shift with time of day (morning, afternoon, evening, night, late night), driven by circadian rhythms.
• Radio stations tailor playlists accordingly; familiarity with heavy songs can blunt discomfort at “wrong” times.
• Experiment suggestion (09:59):
  Alan Cross: “What time of day is it as you’re listening to this? ... It’s possible, even probable, that this song will feel great or not so great going into your ears.”

5. Psychopathy and Musical Preferences (10:35–11:40)

• New York University study: Examined 200 people for psychopathy and music taste.
• Findings:
  • Non-psychopaths liked “My Sharona.”
  • Higher psychopathy scores correlated with preferences for “No Diggity” (Blackstreet) and Eminem.
• Quote (11:26):
  Alan Cross: “Like that song, no judgment from me, but... you could be a psychopath. Or not. More research needs to be done.”

6. The Science and Torture of Earworms (11:40–16:50)

• 98% of people experience “earworms” (musical loops stuck in the mind).

• Women and people with OCD, perfectionism, or higher neuroticism experience these more frequently.

• Interesting note:

  • Earworms may be a stress response—music distracts the brain from anxiety.
  • Melodic, repetitive, fast-tempo songs most likely to cause earworms.
  • Formula for earworminess: “Receptiveness + predictability – surprise + melodic potency + melodic repetition × 1.5 = earworm.”

• Cures:

  1. Listen to the song in full.
  2. Distract yourself with mental tasks.
  3. Override with a different song.
  4. Chew gum (disrupts brain’s musical rhythm processing).

• Quote (12:49):
  Alan Cross: “It’s the equivalent of a spinning beach ball or a stuck hourglass on your computer.”

7. Music, Compression, and Impact on Hearing (16:50–20:16)

• Study with guinea pigs: Extended exposure to compressed digital music (vs. uncompressed) caused more hearing damage—even at the same volume.
• The “loudness wars” and over-compressed music cause listener fatigue.
• Highly compressed albums (e.g., Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication) can feel “off.”
• Quote (18:44):
  Alan Cross: “Compressed music can damage hearing in ways that uncompressed music will not.”

8. Music Alters Taste (20:16–21:48)

• University of Bristol study:
  • High-frequency music increases perceived sweetness of food.
  • Bass-heavy music enhances bitterness and saltiness.
  • Experiment prompt: Listen to “Sweetest Melody” while eating chocolate and notice the taste difference.

9. Amusia—When Music Doesn’t Register (22:49–24:40)

• Some people (approx. 4%) are congenitally or acquiredly “amusic”—unable to derive pleasure or emotional response from music.
• MRI studies: Amusic individuals show less blood flow in brain’s reward centers, poor connectivity between auditory and dopamine-producing regions.
• Quote (23:15):
  Alan Cross: “To them it’s pointless. [...] Their brains just can’t process or recognize pitch, melody or rhythm. It’s just sound.”

10. Music as Mosquito Repellent (24:40–25:41)

• Specific music, especially dubstep and Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” may repel mosquitoes by interfering with their neural function.

11. Hacking Noise & Focus with Rhythm (25:50–27:00)

• In loud settings, tapping your fingers (secretly!) can help you pick out voices in conversation; possibly linked to the brain’s temporal processing.
• Spousal advice: Don’t do it obviously, it looks impatient!

12. Music to Boost Mood and Productivity (27:00–28:30)

• Listening to music can make you 11% happier, 24% less irritable at home.

• Most productive music is “the songs you like best” for repetitive tasks.

• For creativity, choose 50–80bpm to stimulate an alpha brainwave state.

• Quote (27:47):
  Alan Cross: “When it comes to repetitive tasks, the best choices are the songs you like best. There is no one-fits-all-size solution.”

• Note: For exam study, silence is best—music can reduce performance.

13. Genes, Music, and Social Connection (28:30–29:09)

• Twin studies show musical connectivity varies up to 70%, suggesting a genetic basis for musical response.
• Loneliness increases risk of hearing loss (especially for women under financial stress).
• Listening to sad songs when lonely or grieving can improve mood due to lyric-based emotional regulation.
• Quote (29:00):
  Alan Cross: “In other words, listening to sad songs can, in fact, end up making you feel happy.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On music’s mysterious evolutionary role (00:40):
  Alan Cross: “There is no known evolutionary or biological need for it. We could probably exist as a species without it, but, you know, that would make life pretty dull.”

• On memory and dementia (02:18):
  Alan Cross: “When someone is afflicted with dementia or Alzheimer’s, this [medial prefrontal cortex] is one of the last parts of the brain to go. Musical memories survive there even when all other memories are wiped out.”

• On earworms (12:49):
  Alan Cross: “It’s the equivalent of a spinning beach ball or a stuck hourglass on your computer.”

• On the “loudness wars” (18:44):
  Alan Cross: “Compressed music can damage hearing in ways that uncompressed music will not.”

• On amusia (23:15):
  Alan Cross: “Their brains just can’t process or recognize pitch, melody or rhythm. It’s just sound.”

• On sad songs and happiness (29:00):
  Alan Cross: “Listening to sad songs can, in fact, end up making you feel happy.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|----------------| | Music & the Brain Introduction | 00:40–03:07 | | Music and Memory Example | 03:07–05:30 | | Social Benefits of Music | 05:30–08:47 | | Circadian Rhythms & Music Taste | 08:47–10:35 | | Psychopathy and Song Preferences | 10:35–11:40 | | Earworms: Science and Solutions | 11:40–16:50 | | Compression, Loudness Wars & Hearing | 16:50–20:16 | | Music Alters Perceived Taste | 20:16–21:48 | | Amusia: No Pleasure from Music | 22:49–24:40 | | Mosquito Repellent Dubstep | 24:40–25:41 | | Tapping to Focus Amid Noise | 25:50–27:00 | | Music, Mood & Productivity | 27:00–28:30 | | Genes, Loneliness, and Musical Emotion | 28:30–29:09 |

Tone and Language

Alan Cross remains clear, curious, and conversational throughout, mixing scientific insight with humor, empathy, and a touch of self-deprecation. He frequently draws on real studies while pointing out what’s “weird,” “cheerful,” or “fascinating” about music’s medical and psychological mysteries.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the hidden connections between music and science—from earworms and circadian rhythms to why some people feel nothing when listening. Alan Cross skillfully weaves personal anecdotes, quippy asides, and cutting-edge studies, making even the strangest facts feel vital, memorable, and practical for everyday life. If you’re fascinated by how music shapes, soothes, and sometimes mystifies the human mind, this one is unmissable.