Earworm Facts and Fixes

A few things the science tells us:

• Musical training raises earworm frequency — musicians get them more often because their auditory cortex stays more active
• Chewing gum can ease an earworm because it interferes with the silent rehearsal that keeps the loop running
• Replacement songs, deliberately playing a different catchy tune, can overwrite the current earworm (though it risks starting a new one)

Earworms are annoying, but they reveal something profound: your brain does not passively receive music.