Can classical music really make you smarter?

Today an interesting question came up about whether or not listening to classical music actually helped you learn by helping the memory retain facts?


Apparently there have been studies done that show listening to classical or jazz music while studying can enhance memory and the amount of information you retain. It is known as the "Mozart Effect". There is even a site dedicated to this http://www.mozarteffect.com/ffect.com/ Studies show that music with at least 60 beats a minute will increase your heart rate which will relax your muscles and open your mind allowing the memory to expand ... hmm not sure, more research needed here.


However there are also skeptics out there who debunk this theory see www.skepdic.com/mozart.html The jury is still out and I will continue my research into this. If you have any theories or facts please let me know!