4 ms·
What is truly bizarre is how rare rhythmic entrainment seems to be [1]. Powered oscillators naturally entrain to one another, like the synchronization of metron
by dr_dshiv 7y ago
What is truly bizarre is how rare rhythmic entrainment seems to be [1]. Powered oscillators naturally entrain to one another, like the synchronization of metronomes. Since neurons are powered oscillators, it would seem that even simple animals would be able to move to a beat.
Yet, we are unable to train mice, birds or primates to tap out the beat to a song!
My theory is that all animals have extensive defense mechanisms to prevent motor entrainment to external stimuli, since that would make one very vulnerable. Therefore, they only exhibit entrainment during ritualized mating, etc.
Humans have evolved to let down our defenses, on occasion, to support social entrainment. Yet, it is still really hard to dance or appreciate music when we are uncomfortable or stressed.
One test of this theory would involve giving animals drugs like mdma to see if it helps them loosen up and appreciate the beat. It works with people, after all. But I suppose proposals like that would be taboo science. Or, perhaps it would be unethical to give chimps mdma?
[1] https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-016-1013-x https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-016-1013-x
- improbable22 7y ago> to support social entrainment Possibly. I can't find the write-up of this, but there's a nice idea that this may have another purpose: Dancing as a group might be a way to fool savannah predators that your tribe is one large animal, not individual hairless tasty meals.
- r34 7y ago>>> My theory is that all animals have extensive defense mechanisms to prevent motor entrainment to external stimuli, since that would make one very vulnerable. Therefore, they only exhibit entrainment during ritualized mating, etc. Wow, seems very reasonable! It made mi think about it in a bit different way: as other animals are thought as "following instinct" and "closer to nature" maybe this inhibition systems are way more advanced in humans than in other animals. It would make explaining dance harder, but would fit great to big literary topos "men vs nature". Is it completely your theory or was it inspired by something that you could recommend?
- dr_dshiv 7y agohttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13239-6#ref-CR80 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13239-6#ref-CR80
- malandrew 7y agoThe Dancing Plague of 1518 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_plague_of_1518