Apes go through mid-life crises.

Humans are members of the great ape family Hominidae, and the physical similarities between us and our primate cousins are clear. We have the same arrangement of internal organs and roughly the same number of bones, we lack external tails, and we even get the same diseases. So it only makes sense that we share some psychological similarities as well. A 2012 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported that chimpanzees and orangutans experienced a midlife crisis similar to that of humans.

The study analyzed the behavior of 508 chimps and orangutans in captivity at zoos in five different countries, and found that these animals’ well-being hits its nadir around their mid-20s or early 30s (the equivalent of middle age for chimps and orangutans). Of course, scientists couldn’t directly ask the chimpanzees how they felt, but instead relied on zookeeper questionnaires to assess the animals’ overall mood, level of joy in social situations, and how successful they were in achieving particular goals. Although the dataset is subjective, its sheer size highlights an overall trend that’s remarkably human, since we also tend to experience a dip in happiness and well-being around midlife. It’s just another trait that entwines us with our primate brethren. 

Music relieves pain.

Bob Marley once said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Turns out, science backs him up. According to a 2023 study by scientists at McGill University in Montreal, listening to your favorite music reduces pain by one point on a 10-point scale. Scientists asked a series of questionsafter 63 participants experienced pain while listening to either their favorite songs, relaxing songs picked for them, scrambled music, or silence. Once each seven-minute round was over, subjects rated the music’s pleasantness and how many “chills” — that goosebump feeling you get when listening to moving music — they experienced. Listening to preferred music, especially moving music, far outranked other scenarios, and participants ranked the pain as less intense and less unpleasant. 

Although this particular study focuses on music’s impact on physical health, the medical world has long known the healing powers of music when it comes to the mind. Music’s ability to reduce stress and anxiety while improving cognitive ability and memory inspired a field of medicine known as music therapy, which has existed in some form since the late 18th century. So while listening to your favorite Beatles track or kicking back with some Beethoven won’t be enough to curtail serious pain, music can help mellow out the aches of everyday life.

Fibonacci’s Sharp Right

Golden ratios dance,

On Fibonacci’s sharp right,

Sacred symmetry.

Numbers whisper grace,

In equations, truth embraced,

Divine order speaks.

Geometry’s hymn,

Angles form a sacred song,

Profound shapes align.

Quantum symphony,

Particles in cosmic dance,

Mathematics breathe