Hard Rock & Killer Mice

[Narz]

While I recognize this is an experiment performed by some kid I still found this article interesting. I have read about other experiments along these lines before. I also notice I play better online blitz chess while listening to classical (though I have never tested my skills while listening to NIN or Rage Against the Machine).

Music Experiment With Mice (Link)

Mice and Music Experiment Mozart
Hard Rock Makes Killer Mice, Teen Finds
MUSIC CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO MOUSE HEALTH

He may have won top regional and state science-fair honors, but probably at least some of his friends aren't talking to him. Sixteen-year-old David Merrill, a student at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk, Va., thought that the loud sounds of hard-rock music must have a bad effect on its devoted fans and came up with a way to test that damage.

Merrill got 72 mice and divided them into three groups: one to test a mouse's response to hard rock, another to the music of Mozart and a control group that wouldn't listen to any music at all, rock or classical.

The young vivisectionist got all the mice accustomed to living in aquariums in his basement, then started playing music 10 hours a day. Merrill put each mouse through a maze three times a week that originally had taken the mice an average of 10 minutes to complete.

Over time, the 24 control-group mice managed to cut about 5 minutes from their maze-completion time. The Mozart-listening mice cut their time back 8-and-a-half minutes.

But the hard-rock mice added 20 minutes to their time, making their average maze-running time 300 percent more than their original average.

Need we say more? Well maybe we do. Merrill told the Associated Press that he'd attempted the experiment the year before, allowing mice in the different groups to live together.

"I had to cut my project short because all the hard-rock mice killed each other," Merrill said. "None of the classical mice did that."

Note : I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble, a few of my favorite posters here (Curt & Davo spring to mind) are metal fans. I imagine certain bands are probably better for peace of mind (and maze running) than others. Wait, maybe I've got it!! People like heavy metal because they want to get out of the rat race.

 

[soul_warrior]

very interesting.
not an avid metal fan, but i did my share of guitar riffs.
currently deep in the race with techno.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Well, when I look at a mouse and then a human I don't see too many similarities.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Was one of the songs Bullet with Butterfly Wings? The refrain may have depressed the rodentia...

 

[ComradeDavo]

That song isn't really heavy metal though

 

[Chukchi Husky]

What about music that combines elements of both?

 

[colony]

Wasn't there also another study done that showed people who listen to Classical music while driving were less likely to have an accident than those that listened to Metal?

I find it much easier to concentrate on anything while listening to Metal though

As for why the mice killed each other, lyrics such as these aren't exactly promoting peace and love

Rip and cut and mutilate the innocent,
his friends, and again and again and on and on.

You make me own my life in Hell; my kingdom back to the bound
You say you don't make it alone; kingdom back to the Lord

Falling, I say; you too, falling; you too, born to die

Come with hate
Come and die

One day I'll face you all alone,
enduring out with wind and ice
It's payback time; it's your demise sought to feel:
they'll taste of my scythe

You say my ear, my God who help me, God take yours in shame
Back too low, I want your head on a plate to feel my eyes

Come with me, I want your blood to save it on my eyes
I want you and in the plate to be coming in the sky (sky!)

Come with hate
Come and try

One day I'll face you all alone,
enduring out with wind and ice
It's payback time; it's your demise until they feel:
taste of my scythe

 

[IglooDame]

Pity the fellow didn't include rap music in his study...

 

[ComradeDavo]

The study also can not take into account lyrical content, which is obviously a rather important factor in music.

 

[IglooDame]

The study also can not take into account lyrical content, which is obviously a rather important factor in music.

Except for classical.

Are heavy metal lyrics really that good?

 

[ComradeDavo]

Except for classical.

Are heavy metal lyrics really that good?

Depends on the band I guess.

I mean bands like Tool and Nine Inch Nails certainally have lyrics that I consider 'very good'.

Obviously some bands go for a simple/brutal approach to lyrics, but theres alot of variation and intelligence to be found.

 

[Truronian]

I think listening to hard rock for ten hours a day would drive me insane, infact I imagine any lyrics based music for ten hours would do that. Classical music is more like a backing track to life.

 

[colony]

Are heavy metal lyrics really that good?

TBH sometimes I'm glad I can't understand half the lyrics, so I don't realise just how silly they really are

Also the cheesiness in a couple of songs by certain bands makes me cringe a bit. Thankfully there are bands with good lyrics around

 

[IglooDame]

Depends on the band I guess.

I mean bands like Tool and Nine Inch Nails certainally have lyrics that I consider 'very good'.

Obviously some bands go for a simple/brutal approach to lyrics, but theres alot of variation and intelligence to be found.

But isn't that true for other music genres too (excepting classical, and possibly C&W)?

 

[ComradeDavo]

But isn't that true for other music genres too (excepting classical, and possibly C&W)?

Of course. What I mean is that you can't just base a song entirely on the instruments.

 

[.Shane.]

ROFL! Great find!

I love this quote:

"I had to cut my project short because all the hard-rock mice killed each other," Merrill said. "None of the classical mice did that."

 

[Louis XXIV]

Was one of the songs Bullet with Butterfly Wings? The refrain may have depressed the rodentia...

LMAO

I'm thinking the fact that they had to listen to it for 10 hours a day had to be a factor. Even classical music listening mice didn't improve as well as other mice. Maybe it was just noise that affected the mouse's senses. It could happen to humans, but, since a human brain operates on a little higher level than a mouse, we might be able to compensate.

They need to repeat the experiment with humans instead.

 

[Narz]

LMAO

I'm thinking the fact that they had to listen to it for 10 hours a day had to be a factor. Even classical music listening mice didn't improve as well as other mice. Maybe it was just noise that affected the mouse's senses.

Nah, the classical mice improved their times more.

They need to repeat the experiment with humans instead.

I'm sure they will someday.

Be interesting if they did it will hip-hop music too.

And maybe country.

Haha, if the mice had been forced to listen to country music 10 hours a day maybe they would've killed themselves instead of each other.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Nah, the classical mice improved their times more.

You're right. I thought it said that the classical mice improved their time to 8 1/2 minutes, not by 8 1/2 minutes.