It could be the answer to the prayers of millions of mothers and yet, it is illegal and unethical according to certain bodies of government and science. It could save millions of children and prevent dozens of learning disabilities yet it is not being done. This research could even lead to correct path research for a practical cure for Alzheimer’s disease, yet no one is doing it because it is unethical. What is this terrible research that no one is allowed to do that could save millions from unnecessary suffering? Is it cloning? Is it stem cell research? No, it is neither of those. It is putting headphones on a pregnant mother's belly and playing classical music.

That is a no-no- as far as medical research is concerned. It’s okay to Endanger a Baby Animal (club that muppet and bring it here) The head scratching part of this is that the research that is being performed on animals instead, and suggests that it can not only help them to remember and retain information longer, it makes them smarter on a cellular level through increased synopsis activity in the hippocampus region of the brain. Rats and Rock and Roll The Hippocampus is a vital part of the brain that affects short term memory and spatial memory. It is shared by all mammals. In lab rats, music is played for the pregnant mothers in one group, focusrite scarlett for another group, and nothing at all for the third group. The babies are then trained to run a maze three different times. The first run was with music being played, the next without and the last one with erratic noise being played. The three results surprised everyone and now there are even more people ranting both for and against human trials. Surprise Bang Boom Clang The group of rats who were played music in the womb performed far better than any other group and were, in fact, easier to train. The group that came in second was the group that heard no noise. The big losers were those who were played erratic sounds. That was the big surprise for many. Forgetful Rats are the Worst Kind The group of rats that were played an hour or so of classical music every day showed increased levels of neurogenesis - the birth of new neurons.

They showed the highest levels of the three groups by far and with that comes increased synopsis activity as the neurons communicate information along a much shorter path. The group with erratic noise fared far worse. They showed increased neuron death as they aged, the same kind of damage that one would expect to see in Alzheimer's if rats could get it genetically. So why are we not testing humans? Are They Making This Up As They Go? There are those who argue that music could be causing something else to happen and that something else could be the cause of increased learning aptitude in the experimental animals. One theory suggests that maybe the music (which is already proven to decrease stress) is lowering the male hormone levels and raising the oestrogen levels in the mothers. This helps to raise the level of proteins around the hippocampus (music has also been proven to do this.).Some theorists suggest that it could be the mother's response to the music that increases the child's memory and intellect and not the music itself. The argument is that the music is lowering the mother's stress, thereby shielding the child from raised cortisol levels. These ‘fight or flight’ hormones produce adrenaline and cause stress in the infant as well as the mother. These are the arguments that have science and medicine toeing a thin line lawyers drew on the research floor and dared anyone to step over.

Meanwhile, let's see a show of hands in the UK of how many people have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. Okay, how many in America? And the rest of the world? one-two-three-four-five... ten million and six. Great. Too bad they are not rats. (The Up Side) It is Okay to Rock and Roll Unfortunately, this is all moot because as long as these independent thinkers have a point to argue, no one is willing to cross the line and try to make our children smarter in utero or cure an elusive and terribly vindictive disease by playing a little classical music. What a shame. On the up side, the research has shown that music can make you smarter even into old age so strap on the headphones and let's rock and roll, the second leading hippocampus stimulator, right after classical music. Want to know more?

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