Simple Music Sounding Complex More Universally Memorable

Credot: iStockphotoRoseTracker| Wanting to understand what makes certain music transcend cultures and centuries, Dr Nicholas Hudson used ‘lossless’ music compression programs to mimic the brain’s ability to condense audio information.

His discovery surprised many people. Evaluating several times of music, Hudson noted that random noise can only be compressed to 86% of its original size, and pop, rock and techno about 60%.

Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony, on the other hand, is not as complex we it sounds. The symphony can be reduced to 40% of its original size, suggesting that the longevity of certain music is actually tied to its simplicity. via Science Daily