Stories by Diana Deutsch

Our sense of song helps us learn to talk, read and even make friends

Reviews and recommendations from the February/March 2008 issue of Scientific American MIND

Certain series of tones appear to ascend or descend infinitely in pitch. Other patterns change when shifted in key and indicate an influence of speech on the perception of music

Presenting certain sequences of tones simultaneously to both ears produces paradoxical auditory illusions. Surprisingly, right-handed subjects and left-handed subjects perceive the illusions differently