The idea that different types of music can either help or hinder plant growth has long been a popular subject for science fairs. Some scientific experiments have shown that certain types of music -- in particular, classical music -- have a positive affect on plant growth.
One must consider, however, the motives behind these experiments, particularly the desire to prove that rock music is harmful. More recent, better controlled studies disprove the connection between calm, "cultured" music and better plant growth, and even show benefits of loud music for plants.
Early Research on Music and Plants
Dorothy Retallack, a researcher at the Colorado Woman’s College in Denver, published her work on music and plants in 1973 in the book The Sound of Music and Plants. In one experiment, Retallack found that plants thrived when she played a tone intermittently, but died when she played the same tone constantly. In another experiment, she found that plants grew better when she played "soothing" music on the radio, whereas rock music affected plant growth negatively.
Another of Retallack's experiments sought to discover what kind of classical music plants liked best, finding that plants exposed to North Indian classical music leaned towards the speakers, while plants exposed to the modern, dischordant classical music of composers such as Schoenberg leaned away from the speakers -- but not nearly as much as the plants exposed to harsh rock music.
Effects of Music on Plants and Humans
Retallack had an ulterior motive in her work, however: proving that there was "a link between loud rock and anti-social behavior among college students." Her original experiments, and many later experiments imitating them, run into the same problem: the researcher's biases and expectations can affect the final result.
One explanation for music's affect on plant growth in casual experiments is simply the plant grower's personal tastes. If one enjoys classical music but not rock music, for example, one is more likely to avoid a room where rock music is constantly played -- and thus to avoid watching over and caring for those plants. Later experiments with better controls and less baggage than Retallack generally don't show a connection between music genre and plant growth.
Loud Noises Affect Plant Growth
Even if it were true that rock music is harmful to plants, it does not follow that rock music is therefore harmful to humans. Consider, for example, a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina, which found that turnip seeds are more likely to sprout after being exposed to 100- to 110-decibal noise. That's the equivalent of standing 100 feet away from a jet engine, something not particularly beneficial to humans.
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