Is It True that You Can Charm a Snake with Music?

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0:08:50 > 0:08:57.

0:09:04 > 0:09:07Hi, everybody, and welcome to Science Fiction,

0:09:07 > 0:09:09the show which leaves no stone unturned

0:09:09 > 0:09:10in the search for scientific truth.

0:09:10 > 0:09:13Hello! Hello, truth, are you in there?

0:09:13 > 0:09:15Ow!

0:09:15 > 0:09:17So, Bud-E, what's today's question?

0:09:17 > 0:09:20Oh, sorry, Doc. Just practising a few scales there.

0:09:20 > 0:09:23Today's question comes from Toby in Nairobi.

0:09:25 > 0:09:28First of all, Toby, snakes don't even have ears.

0:09:28 > 0:09:31Oh, that's grand, so end of story. Good luck, Toby.

0:09:31 > 0:09:33- Well, hang on a minute, Professor. - Huh?

0:09:33 > 0:09:38Snakes experience sound waves as vibrations through their skin,

0:09:38 > 0:09:40in a similar way to our sense of touch,

0:09:40 > 0:09:42so they are aware of sound, but just not in the same way as us.

0:09:42 > 0:09:47I suppose you could say, Dr Knowles, they've no appreciation of music.

0:09:47 > 0:09:49A snake charmer usually keeps the snake

0:09:49 > 0:09:52locked inside a basket for long periods of time.

0:09:52 > 0:09:56When the lid is suddenly removed, the bright light frightens the snake

0:09:56 > 0:09:59and its natural reaction is to stand up and assume a defensive pose.

0:09:59 > 0:10:01Coiled up, ready for a fight.

0:10:01 > 0:10:02Once the snake is standing up,

0:10:02 > 0:10:06it naturally follows the movements of the flute from side to side,

0:10:06 > 0:10:08a bit like a boxer shadowing their opponent.

0:10:08 > 0:10:11So you mean they're not hypnotised at all, like?

0:10:11 > 0:10:12They're just really annoyed?

0:10:12 > 0:10:15Exactly. The sad truth is that most snake charmers

0:10:15 > 0:10:18don't treat their animals very well at all.

0:10:18 > 0:10:21Oh, that's awful. I think I'll go back to monkey tickling.

0:10:21 > 0:10:22It's much safer.

0:10:22 > 0:10:23Heh-heh! Hoo! Ha-ha!

0:10:23 > 0:10:25MONKEY SCREECHES

0:10:25 > 0:10:27So now you know the truth behind the illusion, Toby.

0:10:27 > 0:10:29You can't charm a snake with music.

0:10:29 > 0:10:31So that's just a load of old science fiction.

0:10:35 > 0:10:38Dr Knowles, do you think it's possible to hypnotise a hippo,

0:10:38 > 0:10:40or put ants in a trance?

0:10:40 > 0:10:41Ha! I've loads of them.