Year after year, carnival in Rio makes one thing perfectly clear: samba moves people. The pounding drums elicit exuberant movement and ecstatic displays of emotion. But what is it that makes this music so special? What is the secret of these mesmerizing drum groups? Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) and the D'OR Institute for Research and Education in Rio de Janeiro now believe it has to do with synchrony. Greater synchrony between beats of the drums leads to stronger emotion and greater activation of brain areas responsible for rhythm, movement, and prediction in listeners.
