Time flies when youʼre having fun.
When attempting to describe the finer points of the physics it isnʼt often that you can quote Doctor Who, but with regards to time, the Doctor has it spot on. Well, sort of…
‘People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it’s more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly… time-y wimey… stuff.’
So, if we assume that time is a man-made (brain-maintained) construct, and that our perceptions of time can be altered, this puts us in a very interesting position. Especially with regards to music and sounds. If time seemed longer, what would this do to our favourite pop songs? Would we really have to listen to Adele for longer than previously thought? Well, potentially, yes. To the lay person the song will sound the same length it always has, but to a person under the influence of certain drugs a three minute power ballad could feel like a two-hour marathon of emotion.
This is down to the fact that the brain has an ingenious, yet fallible, way of keeping rhythm. Certain brain circuits, such as those present in the pre-frontal cortex, emit ‘pacemaker pulses’ which are then stored with regards to certain events. For example, the playing of one note on the piano would equal a certain number of pulses. This number of pulses is then remembered, to be used later when you hear the same note a second, third or fourth time.
Now, drugs which cause the release of the chemical dopamine can influence this brain ticking. Drugs, such as amphetamines, increase the firing of neurons which release dopamine, speeding up the sparking rate of pacemaker pulses. This makes the music last a shorter period of time. Whereas, other chemicals, such as the active ingredient of the anti-psychotic- Haloperidol, cause the release of acetylcholine within the brain. This makes events last longer, as it takes more physical time for the same number of pacemaker pulses to be counted up.
This apparent time-manipulation was first experimented with by jazz musicians and cannabis use. According to a 2009 study by Finnish scientist Jörg Fachner the earliest phase, post consumption, leads to players and listeners alike being ‘more sensitive to sound, having a keener appreciation of rhythmic timing with reduced inhibitions’ all apparently leading to a more enjoyable experience. Dr James Munch, an employee of the US Drug Enforcement Agency in the 30’s, has been quoted as saying ‘you’re going to work in about twice as much music in-between the first and second note.’ Therefore allowing musicians under the influence to, for want of a better phrase, jazz up their music a little more.
With this in mind it’s pretty easy to see why albums such as The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon were so revolutionary. They were made and listened to by people not hearing the same timings as the majority of people around them. And who knows, perhaps this excuses Ringo’s drumming after all.
For a bit more info about this why not check out the book that Jörg co-wrote with David Aldridge; Music and Altered States: Consciousness, Transcendence, Therapy and Addictions.
Emily Hughes
I laughed at this…felt like such a nerd….
the AP Bio geek in me just vomited in happiness
(Source: engineering-laughter, via the11thdoctor)
Scientists have discovered the gene potentially responsible for ‘congenital analgesia’; a disorder preventing individuals from feeling pain.
The collaborations of academic institutes across the globe have found that mutations at the ‘SCN9A’ gene can be linked with the inability of rare individuals to experience pain. Thus providing massive insight into the causes of pain within the body, and opening up a field of research into new pain management pharmaceuticals.
The study in which this research is stated was recently published in the prestigious ‘Nature’ journal on the 14th of December 2006.
Pain is an essential evolutionary mechanism. It helps to minimise damage to the body, and facilitates the learning of behaviours which help avoid future affliction. Studying this disorder has allowed massive insight into the complex workings of pain within the body, and the insight gained may provide massive leaps forward in the development of new treatments.
The sensation of pain is a major role of neurons within the body. DNA provides the code for the building blocks which make up these neurons. In response to pain these neurons become ‘excited’ and ‘fire’ a signal to the brain. The ‘SCN9A’ gene codes for the part of the neuron which is responsible for this firing of a signal. Patients with congenital analgesia have mutations at this gene, which is thought to prevent the firing of a signal. Hence the individual does not feel pain.
The first intensely studied instance of congenital analgesia was displayed in a young boy from northern Pakistan. He was found performing on the streets by walking over hot coals, and even sticking knives into his arms. All the while claiming not to feel pain. This phenomena was found in three other families also part of the Qureshi bidari/ clan. With some children from the three families had this disorder, whilst their siblings did not.
Many tests were performed to try and distinguish any other loss of sensation. Was this inability to feel pain be linked to some other physiological disorder? Researchers found this not to be case, in that all other function was normal.
The information that the non-presence of pain is an isolated defect in patients with mutations at this gene, could prove to be an interesting target. This calls for further research as blocking the part of the neuron newly identified as firing painful signals could provide more effective and potentially safer analgesia.
Emily Hughes
Cofocal image of axons and synapses in the hindbrain of an adult brainbow mouse. The brainbow technique is an ingenious genetic recombination strategy using a palette of genetically engineered fluorescent proteins that can be used to randomly label neurons in the brain with myriad colors. (Live et al., 2007)
