14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers at the Harvard University announced recently that it might be possible to make people capable of learning perfect pitch – the ability to correct identify, reach, and carry a musical note – by means of a simple pill. If made real, such a pill may do wonders for the music industry.
Harvard professor of molecular and cellular biology Takao Hensch says that the pill would work by recreating the conditions inside the brain that exist when we are very young. Current explanations for perfect pitch indicate that this ability has a genetic component, but also one related to early exposure to music and sound.
In effect, the pill would restore the plasticity of the human brain to a level found during childhood. This means that it would be a lot easier for synapses to form new connections, and renounce those that are no longer needed. The medication would be useful for learning other things as well, the expert says.
In an experiment Hensch conducted, a group of young men received the drug, and then underwent musical training for two weeks. At the end of the period, participants were able to discriminate between notes, and displayed signs of perfect pitch. This is the first time adults have been able to learn this ability without any training as children, NPR reports.