Music influenced by language

Researchers in California have demonstrated that the language you speak can affect the kind of music you compose. By comparing music composed by classical French and English composers Claude Debussy and Edward Elgar, they found that songs composed by English musicians contain more variation in rhythm and in tone than songs by French musicians. This matches differences in language-English varies more in rhythm and pitch than French. The researchers suggest that differences in language are internalized and subconsciously expressed in music. Previous studies have found that Mandarin speakers, whose language has an inherent tonal structure, are nine times more likely to have perfect pitch.

-Zoe Cormier
Source: Nature

Children of lesbians ‘normal’

The first large-scale study of teenage children of homosexual couples has found no significant differences between lesbian-raised children and those raised by heterosexual parents. Researchers interviewed 12,000 US teenagers, of which 44 were raised by lesbian couples. No difference was found in levels of anxiety, depression, self-esteem, or academic performance. Moreover, the same percentage of teens from either group reported having had sex-34 per cent. Researchers also did not detect any difference in the sexual orientation of the teens, contrary to popular belief.

-Z.C.
Source: New Scientist

Cholesterol in mice lowered

Tiny pieces of genetic material have been used to lower cholesterol levels in mice. The new technique, known as RNA interference (RNAi), works by utilizing RNA, a kind of genetic material, to trigger the cell to shut off a particular gene. However, researchers have had difficulties finding a convenient way to deliver the treatment to human patients. Biotechnology company Alnylam have now shown that this technique can be used to treat high cholesterol levels. They modified the RNA by attaching a cholesterol molecule to it. Cells that make cholesterol have cholesterol receptors, so by attaching cholesterol, RNA could then be absorbed by mice cells. When injected into mice, researchers found that the RNAi technique cut the animals’ cholesterol by 44 per cent.

Wendy Gu
Source: Nature