Tag: Manvir Singh

  • Nation & World

    Music everywhere

    Scientists at Harvard published a study on music as a cultural product, which examines what features of song tend to be shared across societies.

    6 minutes
    Collage of people playing music around the world.
  • Nation & World

    The mystery of the medicine man

    A paper published earlier this year argues that shamanism develops as specialists compete to provide magical services to people in their communities, and the outcome is a set of traditions that hacks people’s psychological biases to convince them that they can control the uncertain.

    5 minutes
    A shaman squatting
  • Nation & World

    Songs in the key of humanity

    A new Harvard study suggests that people around the globe can identify lullabies, dancing songs, and healing songs — regardless of the songs’ cultural origin — after hearing just a 14-second clip.

    6 minutes