I guess if people really knew what they wanted, then it could be given to them, huh?

Ever had a cognitive itch?

Research in the US has found that songs get stuck in our heads because they create a “brain itch” that can only be scratched by repeating the tune over and over.In Germany, this type of song is known as an “ohrwurm” – an earworm – and typically has a high, upbeat melody and repetitive lyrics that verge between catchy and annoying.

Songs such as the Village People’s YMCA, Los Del Rio’s Macarena, and the Baha Men’s Who Let The Dogs Out owe their success to their ability to create a “cognitive itch,” according to Professor James Kellaris, of the University of Cincinnati College of Business Administration.

“A cognitive itch is a kind of metaphor that explains how these songs get stuck in our head,” Professor Kellaris told BBC World Service’s Outlook programme.

“Certain songs have properties that are analogous to histamines that make our brain itch.

“The only way to scratch a cognitive itch is to repeat the offending melody in our minds.”

 

Gotta help my family look for a present for my mom. A book? A pond plant? Will think of something.

An NBC worker got Anthrax through the skin. If I were paranoid you would see me in a gas mask 24/7 and handling my mail only with gloves.Thankfully, I am a low-life and a third-tier university so I don’t have to worry about being a target. Well, maybe by copycat, disgruntled students who have problems accessing WebCT?

Something about Caterina’s site grabbed me. I like it.

Hmmmmmmmmmm… that is a kewl idea for a web page. My favorite books and movies.