Nodding along to catchy music is not just a human habit, say scientists who have discovered that rats also move to the beat.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo played music by Mozart, Queen and Lady Gaga to rats wearing little sensors to detect even the tiniest movements. They found the rodents had an ability to time their moves to the beat. This was believed to be a skill only people had.
Rats' brains are designed to respond well to music, even though their bodies move only a little, says professor Hirokazu Takahashi.
"We all believe that music has magical powers, and we wanted to find out what kind of sound connections are liked by the brain," he says. "Music moves the body. The power of sound is that great."
