Why Do Some Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?
And why do I get so many static shocks?
Two very annoying cases today sent in by listeners to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk to our scientific sleuths, mathematician Dr Hannah Fry and geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford.
The Sticky Song
Why do songs get stuck in our heads? And what makes some tunes stickier than others? Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate 'earworms', those musical refrains that infect our brains for days.
Every morning 麻豆官网首页入口 6Music DJ Shaun Keaveny asks his listeners for their earworms, and Hannah finds out which tunes keep coming back. Adam asks Dr Lauren Stewart, from Goldsmiths University, to reveal the musical features that make some songs catchier than others. And they find out why, in times of crisis, an earworm may just save your life.
The Shocking Surprise
Jose Chavez Mendez from Guatemala asks, "Some years ago, in the dry season, I used to be very susceptible to static electricity. I want to know - why do static shocks happen?"
The team uncover some slightly unethical science experiments on static electricity from the 1700s. Hannah Fry uses a Leyden Jar to demonstrate how static electricity works with help from her glamorous assistant, Adam Rutherford. Spoiler Alert: it doesn't end well for Adam. They discover what makes some people more susceptible to static shocks, and how bees and spiders have harnessed the awesome power of electricity.
Featuring electromagnetism scientist Rhys Phillips and physicist Helen Czerski, author of 'Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life'.
Picture: Human Ear, Credit: Techin24/Getty Images
Producer: Michelle Martin
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- Mon 7 May 2018 19:32GMT麻豆官网首页入口 World Service except News Internet
- Tue 8 May 2018 04:32GMT麻豆官网首页入口 World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Tue 8 May 2018 06:32GMT麻豆官网首页入口 World Service East and Southern Africa & Australasia only
- Tue 8 May 2018 10:32GMT麻豆官网首页入口 World Service West and Central Africa
- Tue 8 May 2018 14:32GMT麻豆官网首页入口 World Service Australasia
- Sun 13 May 2018 01:32GMT麻豆官网首页入口 World Service except News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Mon 14 May 2018 00:32GMT麻豆官网首页入口 World Service West and Central Africa
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