Dr Joshua S. Bamford
@js.bamford.id.au
Researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain @coe-mmbb.bsky.social @uniofjyvaskyla.bsky.social and Social Body Lab @ox.ac.uk
#musicscience
Website: https://joshua.bamford.id.au/
#musicscience
Website: https://joshua.bamford.id.au/
Somehow it feels like this research exists purely to be a question for a pub quiz.
www.livescience.com/physics-math...
www.livescience.com/physics-math...
How many holes does the human body have?
You might think that the human body has many holes, but that number shrinks when you stop to consider what counts as a hole.
www.livescience.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Somehow it feels like this research exists purely to be a question for a pub quiz.
www.livescience.com/physics-math...
www.livescience.com/physics-math...
What role does music play in romantic relationships? We asked a bunch of people and the results are now published in Open Research Europe! 💙🎵
It was a really fun experience working with ORE, which is @ec.europa.eu's own journal for @erc.europa.eu funded research, using post-pub open peer review.
It was a really fun experience working with ORE, which is @ec.europa.eu's own journal for @erc.europa.eu funded research, using post-pub open peer review.
Music plays an important role in relationships, especially in the early stages. It can help people express identity, share emotions and bond. But how does music contribute to romantic love at different stages of a relationship?
Read more: doi.org/10.12688/ope...
#MusicScience #MusicSky
Read more: doi.org/10.12688/ope...
#MusicScience #MusicSky
doi.org
January 26, 2026 at 7:29 AM
What role does music play in romantic relationships? We asked a bunch of people and the results are now published in Open Research Europe! 💙🎵
It was a really fun experience working with ORE, which is @ec.europa.eu's own journal for @erc.europa.eu funded research, using post-pub open peer review.
It was a really fun experience working with ORE, which is @ec.europa.eu's own journal for @erc.europa.eu funded research, using post-pub open peer review.
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
Come study with us! We are excited to announce the international application period for our Master’s Degree in Music and Science is now open!
www.jyu.fi/en/study-wit...
You can apply until 21 January 2026. Please distribute to anyone interested!
www.jyu.fi/en/study-wit...
You can apply until 21 January 2026. Please distribute to anyone interested!
Master's Degree Programme in Music and Science
The Master's Degree Programme in Music and Science at the University of Jyväskylä aims to help students understand the various functions of music in modern everyday life by examining music through a c...
www.jyu.fi
January 7, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Come study with us! We are excited to announce the international application period for our Master’s Degree in Music and Science is now open!
www.jyu.fi/en/study-wit...
You can apply until 21 January 2026. Please distribute to anyone interested!
www.jyu.fi/en/study-wit...
You can apply until 21 January 2026. Please distribute to anyone interested!
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
Looking forward to Valentine's day? Our researcher, Dr Joshua Bamford @js.bamford.id.au has some relationship advice, based upon recent studies into music and love. 🥰💘
Read it here: scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
#MusicScience #MusicSky #ValentinesDay
Read it here: scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
#MusicScience #MusicSky #ValentinesDay
One particular thing can instantly reveal a lot about your personality. And researchers think we should be much better at using it in our love lives
A social signal can say something about who you are as a person and what matters to you in a split second. And according to two researchers, the factor can be an easy way to breathe life into a relati...
scienceillustrated.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Looking forward to Valentine's day? Our researcher, Dr Joshua Bamford @js.bamford.id.au has some relationship advice, based upon recent studies into music and love. 🥰💘
Read it here: scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
#MusicScience #MusicSky #ValentinesDay
Read it here: scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
#MusicScience #MusicSky #ValentinesDay
I am very pleased to announce that, after many years of hard work and brushing, I have been finally admitted to that most prestigious of academic societies: The Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists (LFHCfS).
improbable.com/2025/12/30/j...
improbable.com/2025/12/30/j...
Joshua Bamford joins the The Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists™ (LFHCfS)
Joshua Bamford has joined the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists™ (LFHCfS). He says: I am a cognitive anthropologist, studying the evolutionary functions of music and dance in Homo s…
improbable.com
January 22, 2026 at 10:07 PM
I am very pleased to announce that, after many years of hard work and brushing, I have been finally admitted to that most prestigious of academic societies: The Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists (LFHCfS).
improbable.com/2025/12/30/j...
improbable.com/2025/12/30/j...
Nice to see our MEL model mentioned here. Music is a really important part of many people's romantic lives! medium.com/illumination...
Can Music Make You Fall in Love? How Music Shapes Romance, Attraction, and Heartbreak
From the first song that sparks attraction to the tunes that help us heal after heartbreak, music profoundly influences how we experience…
medium.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Nice to see our MEL model mentioned here. Music is a really important part of many people's romantic lives! medium.com/illumination...
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
Homosexual behaviour has sometimes been regarded as an evolutionary paradox, but a study looking at 59 primate species suggests it does in fact boost survival.
Is there an evolutionary reason for same-sex sexual behaviour?
www.newscientist.com
January 17, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Homosexual behaviour has sometimes been regarded as an evolutionary paradox, but a study looking at 59 primate species suggests it does in fact boost survival.
Doctors hate this one trick...
scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
One particular thing can instantly reveal a lot about your personality. And researchers think we should be much better at using it in our love lives
A social signal can say something about who you are as a person and what matters to you in a split second. And according to two researchers, the factor can be an easy way to breathe life into a relati...
scienceillustrated.com
January 17, 2026 at 9:34 PM
Doctors hate this one trick...
scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
scienceillustrated.com/humans/one-p...
Wonder how it compares with other countries? yle.fi/a/74-20197446
Finns have an average of 11 friends, 4 close ones, survey finds
Around four percent of men, and just under two percent of women, said they had no friends or companions at all.
yle.fi
December 4, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Wonder how it compares with other countries? yle.fi/a/74-20197446
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
Organisers are doing the final touches to the #RPPW20 we look forward to welcoming our colleagues to Jyväskylä next week @coe-mmbb.bsky.social @uniofjyvaskyla.bsky.social
June 12, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Organisers are doing the final touches to the #RPPW20 we look forward to welcoming our colleagues to Jyväskylä next week @coe-mmbb.bsky.social @uniofjyvaskyla.bsky.social
We are taking an exploratory approach to develop current
understandings of what activities and behaviours are involved in romantic relationships. If you're interested in participating, please follow this link for more information:
swanseachhs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
understandings of what activities and behaviours are involved in romantic relationships. If you're interested in participating, please follow this link for more information:
swanseachhs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
May 21, 2025 at 6:54 PM
We are taking an exploratory approach to develop current
understandings of what activities and behaviours are involved in romantic relationships. If you're interested in participating, please follow this link for more information:
swanseachhs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
understandings of what activities and behaviours are involved in romantic relationships. If you're interested in participating, please follow this link for more information:
swanseachhs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
When did humans first begin to sing, and why?
I had a crack at answering this question as part of @newscientist.com's LastWord series. www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg2...
#musicscience @coe-mmbb.bsky.social
I had a crack at answering this question as part of @newscientist.com's LastWord series. www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg2...
#musicscience @coe-mmbb.bsky.social
Is it known when humans or our ancestors first started to sing?
As songs don't fossilise, this is a difficult task, point out our readers – but this doesn't stop them having a go
www.newscientist.com
April 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM
When did humans first begin to sing, and why?
I had a crack at answering this question as part of @newscientist.com's LastWord series. www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg2...
#musicscience @coe-mmbb.bsky.social
I had a crack at answering this question as part of @newscientist.com's LastWord series. www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg2...
#musicscience @coe-mmbb.bsky.social
Why do we teach music? While debates about funding for the arts are ongoing, it's worth reflecting on what music does for society. In this short piece, we discuss some of the predominant theories about the role of music education.
doi.org/10.57874/nsy...
#musicscience
doi.org/10.57874/nsy...
#musicscience
Octopus
Free, fast and fair: the global primary research record where researchers publish their work in full detail.
doi.org
April 6, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Why do we teach music? While debates about funding for the arts are ongoing, it's worth reflecting on what music does for society. In this short piece, we discuss some of the predominant theories about the role of music education.
doi.org/10.57874/nsy...
#musicscience
doi.org/10.57874/nsy...
#musicscience
Something for all of us in the higher education sector to think about. With every action, we should always be asking: how does this serve the core mission of the university?
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
On the responsibilities of intellectuals and the rise of bullshit jobs in universities
You may never have considered yourself to be one. Why would you? But if you’re reading this, there is more than a likelihood that you are one. If you’re a
academic.oup.com
March 17, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Something for all of us in the higher education sector to think about. With every action, we should always be asking: how does this serve the core mission of the university?
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
academic.oup.com/brain/articl...
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
I’ve been adding groups to this starter pack for #musicscience labs as I’ve found them.
If there are any that I’ve missed drop them in the comments!
go.bsky.app/Eao5vcf
If there are any that I’ve missed drop them in the comments!
go.bsky.app/Eao5vcf
December 14, 2024 at 9:59 AM
I’ve been adding groups to this starter pack for #musicscience labs as I’ve found them.
If there are any that I’ve missed drop them in the comments!
go.bsky.app/Eao5vcf
If there are any that I’ve missed drop them in the comments!
go.bsky.app/Eao5vcf
New online study looking at how people rate a musical rehearsal between two singers. It just takes 5-10 minutes and it'd be great if you could have a listen:
oxfordanthropology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
oxfordanthropology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
oxfordanthropology.eu.qualtrics.com
February 14, 2025 at 9:15 AM
New online study looking at how people rate a musical rehearsal between two singers. It just takes 5-10 minutes and it'd be great if you could have a listen:
oxfordanthropology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
oxfordanthropology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
What do fireflies, fish schools, and dancers have in common? They self-organize—and now, science has a model to explain it! New study by Petri Toiviainen and colleagues uses swarmalators to reveal the hidden physics of the dance floor.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/beh...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/beh...
Frontiers | Modeling dynamics on the dance floor with directional swarmalators
www.frontiersin.org
February 5, 2025 at 8:26 AM
What do fireflies, fish schools, and dancers have in common? They self-organize—and now, science has a model to explain it! New study by Petri Toiviainen and colleagues uses swarmalators to reveal the hidden physics of the dance floor.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/beh...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/beh...
Finally, AI can now model how people behave at a silent disco!
#musicscience
#musicscience
What do fireflies, fish schools, and dancers have in common? They self-organize—and now, science has a model to explain it! New study by Petri Toiviainen and colleagues uses swarmalators to reveal the hidden physics of the dance floor.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/beh...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/beh...
Frontiers | Modeling dynamics on the dance floor with directional swarmalators
www.frontiersin.org
February 5, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Finally, AI can now model how people behave at a silent disco!
#musicscience
#musicscience
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
瑞蛇呈祥
Wishing everybody celebrating a happy, healthy and prosperous #LunarNewYear! 🐍 🎉
#ChineseNewYear | #YearOfTheSnake
Wishing everybody celebrating a happy, healthy and prosperous #LunarNewYear! 🐍 🎉
#ChineseNewYear | #YearOfTheSnake
January 29, 2025 at 4:10 PM
瑞蛇呈祥
Wishing everybody celebrating a happy, healthy and prosperous #LunarNewYear! 🐍 🎉
#ChineseNewYear | #YearOfTheSnake
Wishing everybody celebrating a happy, healthy and prosperous #LunarNewYear! 🐍 🎉
#ChineseNewYear | #YearOfTheSnake
Sad to say that my time as a postdoc at @uniofjyvaskyla.bsky.social is coming to an end... because next week I'll be starting as a Senior Lecturer! Very excited to be stepping into a new role at this great university out in the middle of the forest, doing #musicscience. 🎶👨🎓🌲
January 30, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Sad to say that my time as a postdoc at @uniofjyvaskyla.bsky.social is coming to an end... because next week I'll be starting as a Senior Lecturer! Very excited to be stepping into a new role at this great university out in the middle of the forest, doing #musicscience. 🎶👨🎓🌲
Nice to see our work discussed here!
Some of our research from the Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain in The Guardian today!
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Music sounds better with you? How your listening habits affect your love life
Psychologists say that singing, dancing and song preferences play a key role in the viability of romantic relationships
www.theguardian.com
January 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Nice to see our work discussed here!
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
Some of our research from the Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain in The Guardian today!
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Music sounds better with you? How your listening habits affect your love life
Psychologists say that singing, dancing and song preferences play a key role in the viability of romantic relationships
www.theguardian.com
January 13, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Some of our research from the Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain in The Guardian today!
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Reposted by Dr Joshua S. Bamford
We're hiring!
The University, in association with St Catherine's College, proposes to appoint an Associate Professor of Music with effect from 1 October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
The University, in association with St Catherine's College, proposes to appoint an Associate Professor of Music with effect from 1 October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
December 20, 2024 at 12:33 PM
We're hiring!
The University, in association with St Catherine's College, proposes to appoint an Associate Professor of Music with effect from 1 October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
The University, in association with St Catherine's College, proposes to appoint an Associate Professor of Music with effect from 1 October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Nearly 20 years ago, I was on a family holiday/fieldtrip to the north-west coast of Australia, where we found a lizard that nobody could identify. It turned out to be an undescribed species and, finally, after all this time, it has now been described! Meet 𝐿𝑖𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑎!
doi.org/10.11646/zoo...
doi.org/10.11646/zoo...
Molecular and morphological assessment of the Liopholis inornata (Rosén, 1905) species group (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae), with descriptions of two new species from northern Western Australia...
doi.org
December 15, 2024 at 10:32 AM
Nearly 20 years ago, I was on a family holiday/fieldtrip to the north-west coast of Australia, where we found a lizard that nobody could identify. It turned out to be an undescribed species and, finally, after all this time, it has now been described! Meet 𝐿𝑖𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑎!
doi.org/10.11646/zoo...
doi.org/10.11646/zoo...