1196: A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 24, 2025 · 10 MIN

1196: A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations

from Science Friday · host Science Friday

Imagine sitting at home and then all of a sudden you hear a men’s choir belting out “The Star Spangled Banner.” You check your phone, computer, radio. Nothing’s playing. You look outside, no one’s there. That’s what happened to neurologist Bruce Dobkin after he received a cochlear implant. He set out to learn everything he could about the condition, called musical hallucinosis.In a story from August, Host Ira Flatow talks with Dobkin about his decision to publish his account in a medical journal and why the condition is more common than he realized.Guest: Dr. Bruce Dobkin is a neurologist at UCLA Health.Transcript is available at sciencefriday.com.Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Dec 24, 2025

Embed this episode

In a story from August, neurologist Bruce Dobkin discusses how he started hearing a phantom choir singing on a loop after he received a cochlear implant. He’s not the only one.

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

NOW PLAYING

1196: A Neurologist Investigates His Own Musical Hallucinations

0:00 10:50

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Science Friday?

This episode is 10 minutes long.

When was this Science Friday episode published?

This episode was published on December 24, 2025.

Can I download this Science Friday episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!