Why Do We Like Scary Fairground Rides?

When you are a Tween (aged 9 – 12) there are not very many opportunities to rebel because you are still under the watchful eye of our parents.  However if you are taken to a theme park or a fairground that is an entirely different matter.  Tweens are suddenly given freedom with money in their pockets and the right to roam.  The more a parent tries to discourage them from going on a gravity defying increases the probability of them going on it (even if they don’t really want to).  So why do children and energetic adults get a thrill from swinging about in baskets or defying the laws of gravity?

In order to answer this question we must look back at the first time we lift our feet off the ground and shriek in sheer pleasure.  The simple playground swing is the first time we are elevated into the universe to experience the world around us.  This article from Playdale Playgrounds explains how swings work, the physical and emotional benefits of using a playground swing. Basically swinging lets all of our senses run wild and our bodies and minds to figure out balance.  The pure exertion from swinging alone improves our gross motor skills.

When looking at the principle behind roller coasters and other fairground rides the sensations we have are very much like what you experience on a swing.  Basically a roller coaster involves falling through the air due to the force of gravity.  During the exciting (or nauseating) ride your body and brain are being thrown about just like they were when you were a toddler, except you are much higher up and there are many more risks involved.

According to Amanda McMillan of Shape.com long queues even add to the thrill of the ride because they build up anticipation.  Considering that the most popular scary rides generally have the longest queues. Tweens will probably spend at least three hours waiting to go on the rides and only minutes screaming so their act of rebellion doesn’t last very long.

Music – The Universal Language

Researching this topic is pretty awesome, especially if you are an animal lover.  Sound has been with us since the beginning of time and we are all capable of listening to or creating it.  Animals are able to appreciate music and even find it quite relaxing.  Humans are able to identify rhythm in sounds animals make.  Experiments have involved composing music for whales and cats using sounds that produce a reaction. Unfortunately we don’t know exactly what the sound means so we don’t know what we are saying to them.

The concept of sound often conjures up philosophical questions, the most famous being, ‘If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there, does it still make a sound?’ This seemingly innocuous questions opens up many cans of worms relating to life, the universe and everything and our own perception of reality.  In order to answer this question philosophers and scientists have looked at how sound is produced and how it is heard.  A general consensus seems to be that sound waves are produced but because there is nothing to interpret those waves it can only be classed as potential sound.

One thing we do know is that sound waves cause vibrations and deaf people can appreciate a dominant beat in music.  Beethoven’s fantastic music career waned as his deafness took hold but he still managed to compose beautiful music as his hearing worsened.  Listening to music is extremely beneficial to us in so many ways:-

• Pain relief
• Improve exercise stamina
• Speed up recovery after exercise
• Improve sleep quality
• Decrease in appetite
•  Reduced stress
• Relieve symptoms of depression
• Elevate mood
• Improve cognitive performance
• (Source: Greatist.com)

Tiny babies in the womb respond to music and recognise the same music after they are born.  Hearing is the first sense we acquire and the last one we lose so it is hardly surprising that music plays a major role in our lives.  Producing music is equally beneficial because it allows creativity to blossom.  Music and song is used to teach children about sounds and it doesn’t matter if you are pitch perfect or tone deaf singing to your child is extremely beneficial.   Schools recognise the importance of music making and install musical playground equipment so that children can compose and play music to their heart’s content.

The whole process of language, communication and reading relies on the listener being able to identify different sounds so that they can interpret the written word.  Children who are used to hearing sounds are more likely to understand phonics better and become confident readers.  Music has its basis in mathematics, in the Western world we are familiar with four beats in a bar, octaves,  quavers, semi quaver etc.  All are fractions of notes and it seems that music does require a sense of order so that it can sound musical.  Even when music is spontaneously played like Jazz music there has to be one rule that is followed, such as the key it is played in.  This guarantees that the music doesn’t sound like a load of instruments falling out of a cupboard.

 

Information about music is so vast that many of the topics we have briefly looked at could dominate conversations that could last all night.