Why do lullabies sound the same around the world?
The Universal Hum
Why do lullabies sound the same around the world?
Have you ever noticed that a lullaby sounds like a lullaby, no matter where it comes from? A mother in Mongolia hums to her baby. A father in Brazil sings softly at bedtime. A grandmother in Japan whispers an old song. They've never met, they speak different languages, but if you heard all three melodies, you'd think: those are lullabies.
What makes a lullaby a lullaby? Scientists recorded lullabies from seventy different cultures and played them for people who'd never heard them before. The listeners could pick out the lullabies every time. There's something in the sound itself that whispers: this is for calming a baby.
