← Back to context

Comment by dr_dshiv

1 year ago

Alpha brainwaves are almost exactly 10hz, in humans and mice. The typical walking frequency (for humans) is almost exactly 2hz (2 steps per second). And the best selling popular music rhythm is 2hz (120bpm) [1].

Perhaps seconds were originally defined by the duration of a human pace (i.e. 2 steps). These are determined by the oscillations of central pattern generators in the spinal cord. One might suspect that these are further harmonically linked to alpha wave generators. In any case, 120bpm music would resonate and entrain intrinsic walking pattern generators—this resonance appears to make us more likely to move and dance.

Or it’s just a coincidence.

[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurorobotics/articles/...

Well, a second is also a pretty good approximate resting heart rate (60 bpm)

  • > Well, a second is also a pretty good approximate resting heart rate (60 bpm)

    I'm sorry to be the kind of person who feels compelled to make this comment, but you mean a Hertz, not a second.