Researchers at Albany Medical College discovered that rats, unless they are high on cocaine, prefer silence to Beethoven or jazz great Miles Davis’s music in a study. You read that correctly. After taking a dose of the white stuff, these furry creatures were grooving to jazz like they were at a smoky downtown club, even though they couldn’t stand a single note.
In order to better understand how environmental cues can cause drug cravings, the experiment revealed that rats who were given a taste of jazz while intoxicated became addicted to it even when they were sober. Like other stimuli, music has been found to be associated with drug use and may trigger cravings.
Albany Medical College defended the study, claiming it might lead to new approaches to treating human drug addiction. Not everyone is impressed, though. The study was attacked by animal rights organizations, which questioned why government funds were being used to train rats to be jazz enthusiasts and referred to it as wasteful.
The incident has spurred a debate: Is it really necessary for science to make rodents into jazz fans? The results of the study may aid in the fight against addiction, according to some, while others believe the researchers were merely looking for a reason to listen to Miles Davis at work.
