Sleep on That!

Woman resting in bed with her eyes opened, looking at the camera

Does a bad Tuesday night’s sleep mean an even worse Wednesday? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. After a night of tossing and turning, random bad thoughts or memories seem to come out of nowhere to ruin the day! Is there a connection? Marcus Harrington

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Gut and Paste

Woman stressed out with hands in her head

Stressed? You have GUT to relax! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Money! Politics! Global warming! Stress is abundant in our everyday lives. Recent studies show that certain foods affect our microbiomes — that is, our gut bacteria. Foods like red meat, artificial sweeteners, and

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Time Flies

Just one more game of Mahjong Solitaire. . . What — it’s been six hours?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Does time REALLY fly when you’re having fun? Or does it just SEEM that way? Masamichi Hayashi Richard Ivry from UC Berkeley have some

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Muddy Boots

You kids better not track that mud into the house! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science…remembering something my mother used to say. Or more like, yell! But science asks: Could dirt actually be GOOD for you? Marja Roslund from the University of Helsinki, Finland and

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Super-Pack

It’s election season – time to get out the…sneeze? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For we humans, elections mean it’s time to go to the polls. But how do wild pack animals make their vote known?  Ask Reena Walker from Brown University and colleagues.

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Hiss and Make Up

Lookout – snake on the make!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.  It’s summer Down Under! The water’s fine, but there’s something swimming towards you… Should you be worried?  Enter Tim Lynch of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and colleagues. They wondered why

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So A-Peel-ing

Bananas just drive me… BANANAS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Banana bread, banana smoothies, bananas foster – YUM! But our delicious bananas are in DANGER. A new disease called BXW is wreaking havoc on banana plants, especially in Africa.  Enter Jaindra Tripathi and colleagues

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Attack of the Mutants

Look out! Mutant armies on the attack! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our bodies naturally recognize and fight cancers. One weapon? p53! That’s a protein that triggers cell death, stopping developing cancer cells in their tracks! But when this protein mutates and clusters, its

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Sickly Sweet

Are sugar-free alternatives a SWEET idea for your gut? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think of your stomach as a mine. Deep down, the miners — your gut bacteria — work to break down food into nutrients you can use. Things go smoothly when

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Vanilla Warfare

Reduce, reuse, recycle…VANILLA? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plastic wrapping, cups, utensils, oh my! Plastic production is contributing to a global waste crisis! One type of plastic in particular, P.E.T, can be recycled — but it doesn’t break down easily. Is there a sweet

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