THE ALARMIST PHRASE "HAS SCIENCE GONE TOO FAR?" used to be reserved for those “Is This Image Real or Fake?” ads on Myspace showing a horse with a shark’s head. Nowadays however, we may have finally reached the point where we must seriously ask whether or not science has overstepped its ethical boundaries...
Since its inception, this claim has scattered like dandelion seeds. It is the basis of million dollar franchises such as Baby Einstein, a company that makes DVDs and products with classical music and other forms of art that are “proven” to help promote cognitive development in children.
Where did this blown-up myth come from?
In the 1990s, 36 students in a study at the University of California at Irvine listened to 10 minutes of a...
coined the term “auditory cheesecake” to describe music as “a delightful dessert” rather than the “main dish” of language.1 But though the view that music came only as a by-product of language was widely accepted at the time, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow challenged him with the idea that “music is the universal language.” Up until the recent years, many neuroscientists have held the traditional view that music and language are entirely separate from each other, and that at most, language gave rise to music as societies developed. However, some new theories are now rising that support the contrary view — that music in fact develops with language and can even help language development...
is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. Each year, about 6.9% of adults in the U.S. experience at least one major depressive episode.1 Although the problem is so widespread, people may only seek treatment because of the physical symptoms of depression, such as muscle pain and stomach problems.2Furthermore, of those who do seek treatment, only around one-third achieve complete remission.3 Some of the most promising research for treatment-resistant depression lies in anti-inflammatory medication...
