ARTS & HUMANITIES TIPS FROM THE UAB OFFICE OF MEDIA RELATIONS
Mind-Expanding Music?
Two recent studies refute earlier findings that classical music boosted IQ scores. Music may not increase intelligence, but it can be an aid to concentration, says Jeff Reynolds, D.M.A., UAB Department of Music. "Other studies have shown that certain types of music can stimulate or restrict concentration. Listening to Bach or Mozart, for example, has been shown to enhance the portion of our brain that deals with memory, thus better concentration when test taking." Reynolds adds that recognition of the effects of music on humans is nothing new, 17th century philosophers and scientists called this the "Doctrine of Affections" and went so far as to identify how different tempos, keys and melodies could be combined to influence a state of mind or emotional moods. Call Reynolds at 205-934-8782/[email protected].
Ancient Appetite for Dogs
On an excavation site in Ashkelon, 40 miles southwest of Jerusalem, UAB anthropologist Brian Hesse, Ph.D., found evidence this year that ancient Philistines may have eaten dogs. Hesse says the Philistines, in Ashkelon 1175-1000 B.C., left behind dog bones with cut marks consistent with butchering. "This isn't a practice generally found in this region. Clearly, this is something the Philistines did only at the beginning of their occupation." Hesse has worked in Ashkelon since 1985 to uncover another mystery, the ritualistic burial of about 1,500 dogs dating back to 450 B.C. The duration of the burials was brief and the identity of those who buried them has been lost to time. Call Hesse at 205-934-3508.
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