Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. You know that feeling when you just can’t get a song out of your head—just a short part of it playing over and over?

You're humming along to a song you just heard on the radio, or maybe a jingle from an old commercial. Then, silence falls, but the music plays on... in your head. Welcome to the universal experience ...

If you've watched the movie KPop Demon Hunters and see the word "golden," what happens? Pause and think about it for a moment. For those unfamiliar, nothing will come to mind. But if you've heard the ...

Like a good cup of espresso, music is a sensory experience that can stick with you long after it’s gone. Music doesn’t even need to be played out loud. Perhaps even reading the word “espresso” put ...

Ever had a song get stuck in your head for a long period of time? An ‘earworm’ wiggles its way into your consciousness as a song—or more likely, a verse or two of one—with no plan of exit, leaving you ...

The holidays are upon us. 'Tis the season for chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose — and getting songs like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" hopelessly ...

Not long ago, I was stuck. Not in traffic or a line—but in a moment of mental fog. I couldn’t think through a decision. I couldn’t feel what I felt. Then a song popped into my head. Not one I had ...

Ever had a song get stuck in your head for a long period of time? An ‘earworm’ wiggles its way into your consciousness as a song—or more likely, a verse or two of one—with no plan of exit, leaving you ...