49 pages • 1-hour read
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
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Background
Literary Context: Popular Science
Most scientific publications target highly skilled and specialized readers working in academia or as professional scientists. Such publications typically presuppose substantial knowledge and competence, use highly technical terms and techniques, and are not widely publicized outside niche academic circles. Consequently, they are not easily accessible to the general public. In contrast, popular science (or “pop-sci”) is a nonfiction genre that reinterprets and presents scientific information for a nonexpert audience. Popular science literature caters to a wide and varied audience, bridging the gap between academic discourse and layperson interest by presenting complex scientific information in an engaging and entertaining manner that does not require preexisting expertise.
Popular science media consists of books and articles as well as online and television media. Its purpose is generally to inform and entertain, and it is characterized by informal language, humor, and relatable contextualization of factual information. It contributes significantly to public interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. This genre has been popular since the 18th century, when rapid scientific advancements and increased levels of higher education created a growing knowledge disparity between scientists and laypeople and a consequent demand for differentiation of publications for each group. Levitin’s books are part of a wider cultural popular science trend to make scientific subjects accessible for a modern audience, following in the footsteps of major popular science authors such as Carl Sagan (Cosmos, Pale Blue Dot, The Demon-Haunted World) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, Starry Messenger) and world-famous presenters like Bill Nye.
Cultural Context: Exploration of Science and Art in the 2000s
This Is Your Brain on Music was first published in 2006, a time when many fields of academia were becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. In the early 2000s, the rapid technological advancements of the digital revolution gave rise to significant progress in numerous scientific fields, including cognitive science. The growing accessibility of the internet and digital communication made collaboration and interdisciplinary research more convenient than ever before. As a growing body of work testified to the interrelatedness of previously distinct fields, many researchers began to cross traditional boundaries between disciplines, searching for more comprehensive truths. Scientific understanding of the arts was highly sought after during this time, reflecting broader cultural interest in how art affects human cognition and emotion.
Improvements in communication and information technology made new avenues of scientific education accessible to the public, and high-profile works in the popular science genre garnered significant and widespread public interest. As complex technologies such as computers and smart phones became increasingly central to all areas of everyday life, investment in STEM education began to far outstrip funding in other areas of academia and development. In many instances, academic institutions sidelined art and humanities subjects unless their advocates could study or present their field of interest from a scientific angle. Levitin’s work tapped into contemporary fascination with cognitive science and psychology, bringing music studies into conversations typically reserved for technical scientific discourse.
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