Betting rhythm, to paraphrase the late Johnny Cash, is not something we learn, but is “part of our biological toolkit.”That’s according to researchers who played Bach to dozens of babies who appeared uncannily attuned to the Baroque-era composer’s piano virtuosity. “Newborns come into the world already tuned in to rhythm,” according to the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Rome, Italy. The babies’ reactions were tracked using electroencephalography, a “non-invasive technique in which electrodes are placed on the infants’ heads to measure their brain waves,” the team explained. Not melodyWhile the tests showed babies have rhythm, the same cannot be said for other aspects of music. The responses offered “no evidence that the newborns tracked melody or were surprised by unexpected melodic change,” the researchers found.

Source: The Star February 28, 2026 16:01 UTC