Why do we sing to babies?

A founding member of the band Gang of Youths. A single mum from Adelaide. A dad of two in Brisbane. What do all these people have in common?

They all have young kids, and they all sing to them constantly!

As part of our exploration of sound and noise for Science Week, we ask: why do babies turn us into non-stop singing machines? Where does this instinct come from and what purpose does it serve?

For more Science Week stories, head to abc.net.au/science