Episode 30? THIRTY? Yes, dear listeners, Hello You Podcast has officially reached the big 3-0. And here it is, for proof!
If it were a person, it would be entering its 4th decade of life. Is there a word for this? We know what a teen is, a Tween and several things in between – but is there a specific term for this period when a person’s not in their teens/twenties, certainly not in ‘middle age’ or ‘retired’?
If there is, please let us know!
Anyway, it’s been another hot minute since we last jumped behind the mics. Louise has been adventuring, dancing internationally and putting the miles on her car.
Which leads us into exploring playlists. Do you make playlists, dear listeners? Music to take you from A to B down literal highways and byways? Or to mediate your experience through music?
As we dig into Louise’s playlists, we discover a mutual love of East Hastings by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (who Neil has seen 2.5 times live and was, to quote, “turned inside out” by them). Louise drops a love of the Secretary film theme by Angelo Badalamenti, because, well, Angelo, and we explore how musical restlessness tells Neil something’s wrong. And let’s not forget someone he nicknamed Murder Gloves at a Boy Harsher gig in Brighton.
Which leads us to something we’d actually planned to talk about – new research suggests that there’s a link between musical preferences and moral preferences. While it isn’t the biggest sample size in the world, researchers have discovered links between not only lyrical preferences (which makes sense), but also the attributes of the songs themselves – eg beat/dynamics or loudness.
As Proud Generalists, both Louise & Neil wonder what this all means for our playlists and moral value linkages. If anyone wants to repeat the research, we’re here for it! (Just pop a note in the comments or email us – Chat@HelloYouPodcast.com)
Keeping with the musical theme (zipping past Neil’s Three Acceptable Christmas Songs and Louise’s other half’s Trojan Christmas Record), Louise has been dancing at a Jazz club in Amsterdam, on stage no less. Which leads us into an exploration of the transcendental nature of being in the moment, and how music (especially at live gigs) can make this happen.
Excitingly, there’s new research about synchrony among music goers, and how similar physiological responses to music emerge throughout the audiences. We begin to wonder about links with empathy – when we are consciously empathising with others, are we syncing up in important physiological ways (even if we don’t realise)? Are there studies on this? If not, and if there is a research gap here – we’re available and we’re curious!
Somehow, in a link that makes sense in only the way a HYP link can, we get curious about Glacier Mice (who wouldn’t be) but not before a complete diversion into Fox’s Glacier Mints, gemstone collections and Neil’s memory of his Nan’s massive jar of said mints.
As we try to get back to the Glacier Mice, in another diversion, do Glacier Mice taste of mint? Again, if there’s a research gap here, we’re completely available to go to Iceland on a funded research trip to lick Glacier Mice and rate their mintiness.
Glacier Mice are genuinely fascinating phenomena, which no-one yet understands. It’s rather wonderful, as Louise says, that we also live in a world where there is time and space for this type of research to exist – let’s bask in that moment of gratitude.
From Glacier Mice (which may or may not taste of mint) to mice with tiny VR headsets. Scientists have developed tiny VR systems to see if there are differences between the reactions of ‘free running’ mice and VR-headset wearing mice when they’re shown pictures of birds of prey. It’s a fascinating study and technological advance – which may help to unlock new understandings about how the brain works in a less invasive way than before.
Louise launches a new industry – virtual wellbeing for mice (after they’ve been terrified half to death by birds in VR headsets). No, really, it makes perfect sense…
We also talk about other business ideas around alcohol-free pubs and sober cèilidhs. Is there a link between these events and crowd synchrony? Does alcohol help or hinder synchrony – in another shameless pitch for research funding – we’re here to support the academic corpus (just sent us the grant money, please)!
As we finish up – Louise comes up with the fabulous idea that the owners of Fox’s Glacier Mints could sponsor a Glacier Mint licking research trip, accompanied by a model of Peppy the Polar Bear. Can our listeners’ social graph make this happen? The research challenge is on!
It all makes perfect sense, in the unfurlingly experimental way that Hello You Podcasts episodes do. So pull up a chair, pour something warming and enjoy Episode 30!
Hello, You podcast 