- An experiment in Brazil in contrast the consequences of exposing breast most cancers cells in tradition to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D, and Ligeti’s “Atmosphères.” The experiment certainly concluded that Beethoven’s Fifth and “Atmosphères” had facilitated cell loss of life in laboratory situations, as in comparison with Mozart’s Sonata or full silence.
- Nonetheless, this experiment was not carried out on mice or people, solely on most cancers cells remoted in petri dishes. The Brazilian workforce didn’t establish which facet or features of the musical items had resulted in cell loss of life, and there’s no strategy to know the way wholesome tissue would react. Additionally, the researcher stated the strategies her workforce used didn’t enable it to quantify cell loss of life, informing Snopes that the 20% determine was made up.
- Probably the most outlandish features of this declare ranged from exaggerated to false. The earliest model Snopes might discover appeared in a report revealed in 2011 in a Brazilian newspaper. The report was later picked up by U.S. information shops.
- The lead scientist stated she did an interview with CNN Radio in Brazil to make clear her workforce’s findings. Snopes couldn’t discover the interview. Later, she stopped investigating the consequences of music on cells as a result of she stated she lacked funding.
For years, claims unfold about an alleged research that confirmed Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony had killed 20% of most cancers cells in a laboratory with out harming wholesome cells. For instance, somebody posted about it on X on Jan. 10, 2025 (archived):
As of this writing, the submit had gained greater than 500,000 views and 10,000 likes. Extra posts making these claims had appeared on X and on Facebook in early 2025. One of many Fb posts learn:
Researchers discovered that Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 destroyed 20% of most cancers cells in lab assessments:
Scientists on the Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal College of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are exploring whether or not music might play a job in most cancers remedy.
Led by Dr. Márcia Alves Marques Capella, the workforce uncovered each wholesome and cancerous cell cultures to totally different music genres. Remarkably, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 destroyed about 20% of most cancers cells in only a few days, whereas leaving wholesome cells unaffected. An analogous impact was noticed with György Ligeti’s Atmosphères, although Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos confirmed no measurable affect.
The precise mechanism behind these results stays unknown, however researchers speculate that rhythm, frequency, or depth might be key components. Additional experiments, together with Brazilian Samba and Funk, are deliberate to uncover extra about this intriguing phenomenon. Whereas the analysis is in its early phases, it affords an interesting glimpse into the potential of music as a non-invasive most cancers remedy.
The declare isn’t new. A search revealed such claims have been circulating since at least 2011.
The rumor originated from a 2011 article revealed in O Globo, a day by day newspaper in Brazil. The article stated that when uncovered to a half hour of Beethoven’s Fifth, one in 5 cells in a tradition of MCF-7 cells — an estrogen-, progesterone– and glucocorticoid- receptive human breast most cancers cell line remoted in 1970, and one of the crucial studied most cancers cells on this planet — had died. Amongst surviving cells, many had shrunk or misplaced “granularity,” or complexity.
Ligeti’s “Atmosphères” had comparable outcomes, the story added, although the primary motion of Mozart’s Sonata for two pianos barely had any impact.
The article asserted that the experiment might open new avenues for most cancers remedy. “We have been pleased with the outcome,” the article quoted the lead researcher, Dr. Márcia Alves Marques Capella, as saying. “We believed that the symphonies would solely provoke metabolic alterations, not most cancers cell loss of life.”
The information story stated that the workforce would quickly transfer on to learning the consequences of samba and Brazilian funk on the identical cells.
Later, the story was picked up by Improbable Research, an internet site that compiles uncommon analysis in science, medication and know-how and arms out, yearly, the Ig Nobel Prizes.
Nonetheless, the article in O Globo didn’t hyperlink to revealed analysis articles describing the experiment or its outcomes, which have been revealed years later. A Snopes e mail trade with Capella revealed that whereas the story had reported some info appropriately, it had exaggerated their implications, and in addition conveyed false data.
What the Experiment Truly Confirmed
Capella shared the article published after the experiment. It appeared in 2013 within the journal Noise and Well being. A second one appeared in 2016 after one other experiment on MDA-MB-231 cells — a “triple damaging” aggressive breast most cancers cell line, which means it’s not receptive to estrogen or progesterone and doesn’t have a sure protein on its floor. The latter was revealed in Proof-Based mostly Complementary and Different Medication, a journal that ceased publication in 2024 after being delisted from Clarivate’s Net of Science, a database of educational journals, due to high quality considerations.
The analysis was primarily based on earlier findings that steered the consequences of music will not be solely emotional and thru auditory cells. As an alternative, some proof existed that the strain of sound on fluids that encompass cells might have an effect on non-auditory cells. Capella and her workforce got down to present whether or not music might have an effect on “mobile morpho-functional parameters, corresponding to cell measurement and granularity.”
The workforce uncovered most cancers cell cultures in petri dishes to the three musical items by way of audio system, in addition to to silence as an experimental management. The researchers repeated every experiment a minimum of 4 occasions to substantiate the outcomes. They reported discovering a statistically important enhance in cell loss of life and a discount in measurement and granularity in cells uncovered to Beethoven’s Fifth, in addition to to Ligeti’s Atmosphères, however not for the managed situation of silence or for Mozart’s Sonata. In a primary, the analysis steered that music or sound can get in the best way of how “hormones bind to their targets,” affecting physiological processes.
Neither journal article had reported on the variety of lifeless cells, nor did they make claims in regards to the therapeutic energy of those musical items on most cancers. Neither claimed to have examined the music on wholesome cells. Each articles stated that the cell strains within the experiments shared traits with epithelial cells — which line numerous components of the physique and act as a primary barrier to forestall infections — making them good fashions to check. The analysis workforce wrote that the experiments merely aimed to “higher perceive the direct results of acoustic vibrations within the type of music in human cells in tradition.”
In her emailed response, Capella emphasised that she and her workforce had performed these experiments on cells in petri dishes, and that the outcomes “couldn’t be prolonged to human beings.” In different phrases, whereas the musical piece was proven to kill most cancers cells in a managed lab setting, this didn’t imply the music might be used to deal with most cancers.
Additional, she stated that it was not appropriate that one in 5 (or 20%) cells had died after being uncovered to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. “The strategies we used didn’t enable us to quantify mobile loss of life,” she stated.
Lastly, she instructed Snopes that she had by no means deliberate additional experiments with Brazilian funk or samba.
Capella added that, after these claims went viral, she gave an interview to CNN Radio to dispel the confusion, including that the attain of the CNN interview had been a lot smaller than that of the viral claims. Then, she stopped investigating the consequences of music on cells as a result of she stated it turned tough to search out funding. Snopes couldn’t discover the CNN interview with Capella.
Snopes additionally reached out to Renato Grandelle, the journalist who wrote the preliminary report. He stated in a WhatsApp trade that he remembered discovering out in regards to the research on EurekAlert.org, a nonprofit news-release distribution platform operated by the American Affiliation for the Development of Science. Information releases on EurekAlert are shared by “universities, journal publishers, medical facilities, authorities companies, firms, and different organizations engaged in all disciplines of scientific analysis,” and may embody findings earlier than they’re revealed in peer-reviewed journals. EurekAlert doesn’t assure the accuracy of the information releases.
Grandelle instructed Snopes that nobody from the Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho had contacted him to appropriate the story after its publication.
Snopes couldn’t discover the unique EurekAlert information launch. We contacted the press division of the institute asking if that they had stored a press launch about this of their archives and can replace the story ought to they reply.
