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Last Word is Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s long-running series in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions, ranging from the minutiae of everyday life to absurd astronomical hypotheticals. To answer a question or ask a new one, email lastword@newscientist.com
Why do some pieces of music give us goosebumps? Is it indicative of particular personal traits?
Hillary Shaw
Newport, Shropshire, UK
Some people get goosebumps from natural noises conveying danger, which are often high-pitched and discordant. These include the shriek of an angry animal, the creak of a tree branch about to fall and the howling of the…
