From early beginnings in the womb until the late stages of adulthood, music plays an important role in human growth, development, and sustainment. Music— to be defined here as organized sound— is an essential component of most cultures, coloring the world through melodies, harmonies, rhythm, and lyrics. Humans use music as a form of emotional expression, as well as a group bonding activity through participation in orchestras, bands, and casual gatherings. Most recently, psychological researchers have been interested to find that music has another, potentially even more important function: it can improve brain development. In several experiments conducted regarding this phenomenon, statistics show that children who play instruments and possess the ability to read music tend to score higher on achievement tests (Costa-Giomi, 1999). Also, brains of adult musicians are significantly different in structure and function than those of non-musicians (Schlaug, Nor...
Capacitance Capacitance is the measure of an object’s ability to store electric charge. Key Points The unit of capacitance is known as the farad (F), which can be equated to many quotients of units, including JV -2 , WsV -2 , CV -1 , and C 2 J -1 . Capacitance (C) can be calculated as a function of charge an object can store (q) and potential difference (V) between the two plates: C = q V C = q V Q depends on the surface area of the conductor plates, while V depends on the distance between the plates and the permittivity of the dielectric between them. In storing charge, capacitors also store potential energy, which is equal to the work (W) required to charge them. For a capacitor with plates holding charges of +q and -q, this can be calculated: W stored = CV 2 2 W stored = CV 2 2 . The above can be equated with the work required to charge the capacitor. Key Terms dielectric : An electrically insulating or nonconducting material considered for its electr...
What are Pheromones? Pheromones are most commonly thought of as scents that animals give off that will lure a potential mate to them, or scare a potential threat away. Humans also seem to produce these scents naturally. The detection of pheromones, however, is where the problem lies. Scientists have had difficulty finding an area of the brain that detects the pheromones secreted by others. This may be the explanation for why human pheromones are believed to not exist or cause a reaction for humans. A study from the Huddinge University Hospital in Sweden sheds some light on the truth of this conundrum. In the experiment, Ivanka Savic found that smelling synthetic versions of either testosterone or estrogen led to an increase in blood flow to the hypothalamus. The men showed an increase when smelling estrogen and women when smelling testosterone, but neither had a reaction when smelling the scent of the same gender. The hypothalamus is the region of the brain in rodents and other a...
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