The Articles · Mysteries & Strange
Mysteries & Strange
Cursed songs, vanished musicians, occult connections, and the stories music history tried to bury.
5 articles
Why Sub-Bass Hits Your Chest: The Science of Low End
Discover the physics and psychoacoustics of sub-bass, from the Roland TR-808 to the resonant frequencies that vibrate the human thoracic cavity.
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Why Minor Keys Trigger Our Deepest Nostalgia
Explore the science and soul of minor keys, from Miles Davis to Nine Inch Nails, and how specific musical modes trigger feelings of longing and sadness.
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Why 90s Commercial Jingles Live in Your Head
Discover the science of earworms, from the 1994 Nerf campaign to the McDonald's 4-note motif, and how 90s sonic branding hijacks your brain.
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The Physical Reality of the Musical Brain
Discover how years of musical practice physically reshape the human brain, from enlarged gray matter to enhanced linguistic and motor neural pathways.
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The Devil in Music: The Ban on the Tritone
Explore the history of the tritone, the forbidden interval known as Diabolus in Musica, and why the Catholic Church banned it for centuries.
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