It turns out that some people really, really don't like music. Who knew?
A new study conducted by cognitive neuroscientist Josep Marco-Pallerés at the University of Barcelona has revealed that there are people who truly derive no pleasure from music (a condition apparently referred to as "specific musical anhedonia").
The good doctor studied 30 healthy college students who identified themselves as "very sensitive", "moderately sensitive", or "not sensitive at all" to music. Understandably assuming that those who said they are "not sensitive at all" to music were talking shit, Marco-Pallerés asked them to bring in their favourite music from home so he could monitor their reaction to it.
Shockingly, some of those students didn't even own any music, and had to borrow some from a family member who took pity on them. (Come on, guys — even noted hater of music David Mitchell admits to owning two albums.)
They had their heart rate and sweat levels monitored while listening to the music, and Marco-Pallerés found that they had no autonomic response to the music they had brought in. (They could identify whether the song was meant to be happy or sad, but they felt no emotion themselves.)
Marco-Pallerés then asked the students to play a game where they could win a small amount of money, and what do you know — every single student's heart started racing.
In summary: Some people don't like music, but EVERYONE loves money.
