Science News

Music Development Stronger for Those Blind at Early Age

Bach, Handel, even the late great Ray Charles – all were icons famous for their contributions to music despite living with acute forms of blindness. Though the notion that sightless artists compose more finely-tuned pieces than sighted artists seems rooted in musical lore, scientists from the University of Montreal and McGill University have published research results lending valid claim to the myth in the current issue of Nature.

Does Storytelling Add To Mathematical Success?

Preschoolers with strong storytelling abilities may perform better in mathematics, according to a recent study published in First Language. Daniela O’Neill, a psychology professor at the University of Waterloo, found that three- and four-year-olds who are better able to articulate a picture book to an experimental puppet performed better on mathematical tasks administered two years later.