MUSIC FOR A DISTRACTED GENERATION
BBC Science Focus|November 2024
The number of things competing for our attention is often overwhelming. Can dreamy soundscapes created with neuroscience help our bewildered brains to concentrate?
IAN TAYLOR
MUSIC FOR A DISTRACTED GENERATION

You don't need a scientific paper to tell you that music can change your mood or behaviour. We all know, instinctively, that it can. Your foot taps of its own accord at a gig. A high-energy playlist gets you moving at the gym. Tears flow when an old heartbreaker catches you unprepared.

So it's not a huge leap of the imagination to think that the right music can also help our beleaguered brains perform better. Focus and productivity playlists attract millions of streams on music platforms. In labs, researchers are probing how sound can affect our ability to concentrate.

And a small number of companies are creating soundscapes and playlists, designed with insights from neuroscientific research to lull us into a trancelike state of hyperfocus and productivity. Background music with brains.

It sounds great to me, a man who has a mind that likes to wander and a to-do list that's going nowhere. I like to think it's evolution's fault that I'm so easily distracted. Almost anything can seduce my focus from the task at hand: my inbox, my appetite, postal deliveries and passersby. Never mind the beguiling buzz of notifications on my phone, which I've had to put in a drawer so I can concentrate on writing this article. It's no easier for you reading it. Chances are, your attention will be interrupted, on average, five times. More if you're a multitasker or somebody who's easily distracted.

The human brain evolved for vigilance. Recent neuroscience suggests our grey matter performs a kind of unconscious sweep for new information up to four times a second. It's a mechanism that has kept us safe and sociable for millennia, but evolution didn't see the internet coming, or the digital deluge that has arrived with it.

I'm sure we agree: it's too much information. We're overstimulated. Permanently distracted. Research from King's College London suggests that the average Brit checks their phone 80 times a day.

Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra November 2024-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BBC SCIENCE FOCUSSe alt
COULD MARINE CLOUD BRIGHTENING HELP US FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE?
BBC Science Focus

COULD MARINE CLOUD BRIGHTENING HELP US FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE?

The theory behind marine cloud brightening is that brighter or whiter clouds reflect more sunlight back into space.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
IS IT SAFE TO RUN EVERY DAY, OR SHOULD I DITCH MY RUN STREAK TO SAVE MY KNEES?
BBC Science Focus

IS IT SAFE TO RUN EVERY DAY, OR SHOULD I DITCH MY RUN STREAK TO SAVE MY KNEES?

A running streak, where you run every day without taking rest days, can be highly motivating and beneficial for overall fitness. Running is great cardiovascular exercise and isn't to be discouraged (and finding a routine with some consistency is great). Getting a bit of exercise as often as possible is also hugely beneficial for your mental health.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
WHAT MAKES THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET SO GOOD FOR US?
BBC Science Focus

WHAT MAKES THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET SO GOOD FOR US?

The Mediterranean diet may help you live longer, especially if you also adopt the lifestyle of people living near the Med during the 1950s.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
WHAT IS MEXICO'S BLUE HOLE?
BBC Science Focus

WHAT IS MEXICO'S BLUE HOLE?

The world's deepest blue hole (marine sinkhole) lies off the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It's at least 420m (1,378ft) deep, but explorers still haven't found its bottom.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
HOW CAN I TELL IF I'VE GOT HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS?
BBC Science Focus

HOW CAN I TELL IF I'VE GOT HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by glands in our bodies called the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys. It plays a critical role in various bodily functions, including regulating metabolism, reducing inflammation and helping the body respond to stress. While essential for our health, chronic elevation of cortisol levels can lead to several issues.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
THE LUNGFISH
BBC Science Focus

THE LUNGFISH

In 1836, European scientists discovered a peculiar animal from the River Amazon that they struggled to identify. Its eel-like body was a few feet long and its air-filled lungs persuaded anatomists it must be a reptile.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
ARE WE THE ONLY SPECIES TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A STONE AGE?
BBC Science Focus

ARE WE THE ONLY SPECIES TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A STONE AGE?

The Stone Age might conjure up images of early humans, sitting around a campfire or hunting prehistoric beasts, but evidence shows that we're not the only species that has learned how to work with stone tools. Wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) use stone tools to crack open nuts.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Should we scrap daylight saving time?
BBC Science Focus

Should we scrap daylight saving time?

Most of us look forward to the extra hour we get in bed every October, but researchers argue that changing the clocks twice a year harms our health

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
THE INTERNET OF ANIMALS
BBC Science Focus

THE INTERNET OF ANIMALS

SCIENTISTS ARE USING ELECTRONIC TAGS AND SATELLITES TO TRACK WILD ANIMALS AND CREATE A DATA NETWORK THAT COULD HELP US ADDRESS THE BIODIVERSITY CRISIS

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
MUSIC FOR A DISTRACTED GENERATION
BBC Science Focus

MUSIC FOR A DISTRACTED GENERATION

The number of things competing for our attention is often overwhelming. Can dreamy soundscapes created with neuroscience help our bewildered brains to concentrate?

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2024