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Discovery: Why Do Some Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?

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Earworms and Static

07/05/2018 GMT

Why Do Some Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?

BBC World Service - Discovery, Why Do Some Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?

Two very annoying cases today sent in by listeners to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk to our scientific sleuths, mathematician Dr Hannah Fry and geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford.

The Sticky Song
Why do songs get stuck in our heads? And what makes some tunes stickier than others?  Drs Rutherford and Fry investigate 'earworms', those musical refrains that infect our brains for days. 

Every morning BBC 6Music DJ Shaun Keaveny asks his listeners for their earworms, and Hannah finds out which tunes keep coming back. Adam asks Dr Lauren Stewart, from Goldsmiths University, to reveal the musical features that make some songs catchier than others. And they find out why, in times of crisis, an earworm may just save your life.

The Shocking Surprise
Jose Chavez Mendez from Guatemala asks, "Some years ago, in the dry season, I used to be very susceptible to static electricity. I want to know - why do static shocks happen?"

The team uncover some slightly unethical science experiments on static electricity from the 1700s. Hannah Fry uses a Leyden Jar to demonstrate how static electricity works with help from her glamorous assistant, Adam Rutherford. Spoiler Alert: it doesn't end well for Adam. They discover what makes some people more susceptible to static shocks, and how bees and spiders have harnessed the awesome power of electricity.

Featuring electromagnetism scientist Rhys Phillips and physicist Helen Czerski, author of 'Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life'.

Picture: Human Ear, Credit: Techin24/Getty Images

Producer: Michelle Martin

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