Music is a curious thing. At face value, it seems to be an abstract concept, one that does not seem to be essential to human survival. Yet music is arguably as old or older than language itself, and ubiquitous in human culture. Indeed, it is an aspect of culture that seems to be ingrained in our species. Music has a profound effect on the human mind and emotion. However, for something that has such a powerful effect on us, we understand so little about it. To quote Darwin, "As neither the enjoyment nor the capacity of producing musical notes are faculties of the least use to man in reference to his daily habits of life, they must be ranked amongst the most mysterious with which he is endowed". After decades of research, empirical studies have yet to testify to any of the prevalent hypotheses for the functions of music in humans. However, we are now beginning to understand more about how the human brain processes music.

The field is a fascinating one, which is why we've taken on "Music and the Brain" as the theme for our indigenous, student driven symposium, Sympotein. To the uninitiated, the key words associated with Sympotein are A. Science and  B. Beer. Preference to Science. No, really.

Sympotein literally translates to "to drink together"- it serves as a platform for discussing exciting (but sound) science and ideas, albeit in an interactive, informal, and fun environment. Previous Sympoteins have discussed topics ranging from "Extreme Cell Biology" to "The Battle of the Sexes" to the concept of creating a "Super human" using principles of biomechanics. "Music and the Brain" marks the 10th Sympotein organised at NCBS.

Truly, the concept of music is one worthy of study and discussion. The effect that the maestros - from Jimi Hendrix and Freddie Mercury, to Zakir Hussain and Ali Akbar Khan - have on us, are nothing short of amazing. This begs the question - how, indeed, does music have this effect on the human brain? Are there dedicated centres for music in the brain? Is music a construct that is restricted strictly to our own species? Join us for Sympotein X-Music and the Brain, as we attempt to break these aspects of music down to their nuts and bolts. Learn about the astonishing diversity seen in musical culture, and about how the brain handles music- from how it is perceived, to the relation between listening to music and producing it, and finally to how it affects metabolism and if it has the ability to heal. The journey will be an interesting one, to say the least. So free up your schedule and we'll give you an evening to remember.

When? 12th of February, 2013; from 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Where? Dasheri (200 Seater)

Do check out some (random, but fun!) related links:

An interactive timeline on the history of modern music: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/interactive/2011/jun/11/history-modern-music-timeline

Do you take great songs and butcher them? Test your musical abilities (or lack of them!): http://jakemandell.com/tonedeaf/ and http://tonometric.com/adaptivepitch/.

Get some basic gyaan on western instruments here: http://datadragon.com/education/instruments.

Make and record your own music at Incredibox. Caution: Addictive stuff. Don't say we didn't warn you - http://www.incredibox.com/en/#/application.