The Life of J

Tag: blog

  • Unlocking Nostalgia: The Science of Music and Memory

    Unlocking Nostalgia: The Science of Music and Memory

    Ever wonder why hearing an old song can instantly transport you back in time? If a random playlist triggers goosebumps, laughter, or even a lump in your throat, you’ve experienced the powerful connection between music and nostalgia. Let’s dig into the science—and I’ll share some of my personal experiences—about why music triggers nostalgia so strongly, and why those feelings are sometimes impossible to shake.

    Why Does Music Trigger Nostalgia So Intensely?

    So what is it about music that digs straight into your heart and memory? The answer is surprisingly scientific. When you listen to music, it interacts with the deepest parts of your brain—the amygdala and hippocampus—areas responsible for processing emotions and long-term memories. This means you’re not just hearing a song; you’re reliving the feelings, smells, sights, and vibes of the original moment you heard it.

    Research shows that the songs we listen to during our teenage years and big life moments get permanently embedded in our memory. Experts call music a “cue”: once your brain connects a song to a powerful memory, even a short clip can release a flood of flashbacks—almost like pressing play on your own highlight reel. Your emotional memory is at its peak during times of big change, which is why hearing a song from your school days or first relationship can feel so vivid, even years later.

    Real-Life Music Memories: How Certain Songs Became My Time Machine

    Looking back, music has always been tightly woven into the key moments of my life—even ones I didn’t know I’d someday remember. When a certain track sneaks onto my playlist, I can be transported instantly to a different chapter. Afternoon sunlight, waves outside the sailing club, my battered laptop and RuneScape on the screen—hearing “La La La” by Naughty Boy ft. Sam Smith now still evokes a feeling of peaceful rebellion and a nerdy contentment I never knew I’d someday treasure.

    Other memories are even more vivid. “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore instantly shoots me back to a sun-beaten day, driving home from a powerboating course, windows down with a friend, both of us singing so loud we were hoarse for days. All it takes is a few notes to unlock that sense of being young, free, and unstoppable.

    Family life had its own soundtrack. If you played “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO right now, I’d immediately picture my brother and me dumping boxes of Lego across the bedroom floor, racing to build the ultimate Star Wars AT-AT. It’s amazing how some songs conjure up cheerful chaos, sibling rivalry, and the drive to create something epic—even if it was just plastic bricks back then.

    Then there are songs that cue up memories of fleeting encounters. “Barbra Streisand” by Duck Sauce zips me back to a caravan holiday, where I met a girl and her brother, hung out for just one afternoon, and never saw them again. Yet every time I hear that track, I’m fourteen again, convinced the smallest moments might be the start of something magical.

    I’ll also admit—I’m not immune to “cringe” tracks. Like a lot of guys, a teenage crush led me to listen to Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me,” even though it wasn’t my usual style. Hearing it now reminds me of teenage awkwardness and how much we all grow and change, even if our old music choices are a little embarrassing.

    Why Some Songs Hit So Hard—Even If Your Taste Has Changed

    No matter how much my playlists evolve, those older songs are emotional bookmarks. For many of us—especially if you aren’t the type to dwell on your feelings or journal every thought—music keeps your memories safe, the good and the bittersweet. Sometimes a nostalgic song is uplifting; other times, it stings. Either way, when those notes hit, you can’t help but remember who you were back then.

    These days, I try to lean into it. I keep playlists full of old favorites for those moments when I need a boost or want to remind myself of where I started. Even the awkward tunes have their purpose—they’re a kind of time capsule, and a reminder of how far I’ve come.

    What about you? What songs transport you back to a different time—even if your friends might never let you live it down? Do you have a track that instantly triggers a flood of memories, good or bad? Let me know in the comments—no judgement, just stories!

  • My Digital Story: A Little Look Into My Life and What I Love 

    My Digital Story: A Little Look Into My Life and What I Love 

    So! If your still reading this, I’ve obviously caught your attention, which means you probably want to learn more about me. This blog isn’t going to have a face attached to it (Which is in your best interest, trust me!) but I’ll share as much as much as I can with you so you understand who I am 
     
    I’m in my late 20’s and have a background in IT, I grew up playing games across a verity of consoles which started my interest in computers. I distinctly remember when I was still at school giving myself local admin privileges through registry editor to allow myself to install GTA San Andreas and Halo Combat evolved on multiple machines for myself and my friends, and creating hidden files in network shares to store music and videos. I never got caught, and I still heard stories from years after I left about people finding the games on random machines – that always felt good. 

    I built my first PC in 2015, it was an entry level build for the time with an AMD FX8350 CPU, ASUS GTX 960 graphics card with 8GB of DDR3 memory and a 1TB hard drive. Up until then, I’d been playing games on an old laptop with a cooling fan putting out enough RPM to put a jet turbine to shame. I was only really playing RuneScape at that point, as it wasn’t powerful enough to render anything other than 1 texture at a time! Building that PC was the gateway to world that would shape the rest of my life, both professionally and personally.  

    That rig lasted me for a couple of years, until the release of the GTX 10 series when I put it through a considerable upgrade. I moved to a 1080ti which completely blew my mind, partnered with a Ryzen 2700X, M.2 NVMe storage and 32GB of RAM. It was night and day difference. Before I was only really able to play games on medium to achieve 60fps at 1080p, whereas I was now able to hit way over that on max, and even stable framerates at 1440p. Game changing.  

    Nowadays I don’t use it so much for gaming. I’ve regressed into more of a filthy casual and use my Xbox when the mood strikes, so I’ve gone out of my way to repurpose it into a home server. I’ve only just started this journey so it’s currently just a Hyper-V host for a Veeam Backup server, but I’m planning to do more with it. My homelab contains UniFi Networking Infrastructure, with a UniFi Gateway Max, an 8 Port PoE switch and 2 U6+ AP’s. A bit overkill maybe, but I suddenly got into networking following the discovery of Home Assistant. I originally only wanted to setup a guest network and vlans for my IoT devices so I could secure my network, but the more I researched, the more I got sucked in. 

    When I’m not messing around with my network, I’ll probably be watching the F1 or getting lost in a Lego build. Both have been go-to sources of fun and inspiration for as long as I can remember, and I never really outgrew either one. 

    Formula 1 runs deep in my family: I grew up watching races with my parents, and these days, it’s a can’t-miss routine that my partner and I share every weekend. I’ve even managed to tick off two live races from my bucket list—Silverstone and Catalunya. For me, F1 is so much more than fast cars. I love diving into the strategy, the technical behind-the-scenes, and, of course, the non-stop drama that comes with each season. 

    I’ve stood by Red Bull Racing since 2009 (back when Sebastian Vettel first joined the team), but I have huge respect for the whole grid. Legends like Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, and Max Verstappen have all won me over in different ways. Honestly, I could talk for hours about the sport and its drivers. 

    The recent boom in F1’s popularity—thanks in large part to Netflix’s “Drive to Survive”—has been wild to witness. Suddenly, it’s everywhere: I can’t walk down the street without spotting someone in team merch, and social media is full of F1 ads and debates. As a lifelong fan, it’s been great to see so many people discover the sport and join in the excitement. So when I heard the news of F1 teaming up with Lego this year, it definitely got my attention. 

    Lego was a huge part of my childhood—I spent countless hours with my siblings turning piles of bricks into sprawling castles and crazy imaginary worlds. Some of my favorite memories are those epic make-believe battles, and the secret code we invented to wake each other up for early-morning building sessions. The ritual was simple: three knocks on the wall, repeated three times. If you heard it, you knew it was time for another round of Lego adventures. 

    As we got older, life crept in and the bricks eventually gathered dust in the loft. That all changed during the big lockdown, when my girlfriend surprised me with a Lego Star Wars set for Christmas. We quickly built it together, and I quickly realized that spark for Lego never really died—it just needed a nudge to ignite again. Honestly, if she knew she was about to unleash a full-blown obsession, maybe she’d have thought twice! 

    That single set sent me down a rabbit hole. I dug out every old box of Lego I’d stored away and spent months sorting through them—three massive tubs packed with pieces and long-forgotten minifigures. It became a mission to catalogue every set I could remember from my childhood collection. Turns out, many of these were mid to late 2000s releases, now considered collector’s items. Of course, building and displaying them became its own challenge, and what started as a single three-tier bookcase is now a growing network of shelves and displays throughout my home. 

    The best (and sometimes most dangerous) part of being an adult Lego fan? Having adult money. These days, I try to keep my collection focused on Star Wars, but it’s tough to resist all the newest releases. The recent Formula 1 Lego sets in particular have really put my willpower to the test—I’ve limited myself, so far, to picking up the small Speed Champions Red Bull RB20, but those big Technic sets keep calling my name… and honestly, it’s probably just a matter of time. 

    I’ve always been into reading so lately, I’ve started setting myself goals to keep things interesting. Last year I aimed for two books a month, and this year I’m seeing how close I can get to three. I mix things up a lot: sometimes it’s fantasy or sci-fi, sometimes it’s non-fiction or a biography, depending on what catches my eye. I’m trying to broaden my horizons and make sure I still read educational books alongside the more creative ones, anything I can do to learn more or become a better person. Right now, I’ve just started Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee, a book around understanding how you can find joy no matter where you are. I can be quite a serious person, and I want to make the most of every moment.   

    When I’m not reading, I’m probably binge-watching TV, getting way too invested in movies, or listening to music. I’m a sucker for stories that make you actually feel something, and I’ll admit, The Greatest Showman still gets me every single time. As for music, I usually find myself looping through the same artists—Logic, Joyner Lucas, Post Malone—until I’m ready for something new. Playlists are great, but sometimes you just need that one album on repeat. 

    Travel is another thing I’ve really grown to love. Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to tick off some cool places like Rome, Barcelona, and Jamaica. City breaks have become a new favourite for me—there’s just so much to see and do, and every trip feels like a mini adventure. I used to be all about relaxing beach holidays, but after exploring cities, booking tours, and getting lost in new places, I’m hooked. My travel bucket list keeps growing, and I’m hoping to get a few more ticked off over the next year 

    So that’s me, for the most part! My goal with this blog is to share my experiences and thoughts and hopefully spark some conversations along the way. More to come soon—see you in the next post. Until next time, thanks for reading!