Researchers have found that mice react to music similarly to humans, by moving their heads in sync with the rhythm of the music and without being trained to do so, according to the United Press International news agency.
The new discovery could contribute to a better understanding of the brain of animals, and may also guide scientists to the secret that causes us as humans to interact with music.
Hirokazu Takahashi, an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, was interested in studying the effect of music on brain activity and finding out why it provokes emotions, so his team equipped 10 mice and 20 people to measure head movement while listening to music by Mozart, Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson.
The researchers were astonished when they found that mice, just like the humans participating in the experiment, moved and nodded their heads in rhythm with the music.
“This shows that the animal brain can be useful in elucidating the mechanisms of music sensation in humans,” Takahashi said.
The research is the first to provide evidence that mice, like humans, have an innate sense of music and rhythm, and without training.
“I think this research is key to understanding how the brain works and developing the next generation of artificial intelligence,” Takahashi added. “I am also an engineer, interested in using music for a happy life.”
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