Steamy Showdown

You know who needs a spa day ASAP? Your heart! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Fighting off heart disease might be as simple as turning up the heat! But which steamy spa treatment works best? Jessica Atencio and team from the University of Oregon

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The Big Five in Exercise

Before your next workout – take a personality test! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Exercise is great for the mind and body. But does personality determine which workouts you enjoy? Enter Flaminia Ronca and team from University College London! They surveyed nearly one hundred

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Coffee Complications

Hey, coffee lovers! How’s your sleep? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caffeine can boost alertness. It’s in coffee, chocolate – even soda! But what if you have too much caffeine before bed? Enter Philipp Thölke and team from the University of Montreal! They gave

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Crowd Crush

Could physics predict a crowd crush before it starts? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A “crowd crush” can happen when too many people pack into a tight space. It’s dangerous! The pressure can stop you from moving – or even breathing. Enter physicist Francois

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Digital Switching

TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram – Oh my! Isn’t endless scrolling FUN? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. “Digital switching” is the constant hopping between apps or videos. On average, a person does it about ONE HUNDRED TIMES a day! But does all that digital switching

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Marathon Brain

Didn’t carbo-load before the race? Try some brains instead! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Marathon runners rely on carbohydrates, like pasta, for energy. When that runs out, fat is next! Now guess what’s sixty percent fat? Your brain! That’s due to the fatty myelin

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Sweet Dreams

Is there a hack for… dreams?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Lucid dreaming is when you realize that you’re dreaming while you’re still asleep. Could meditation strengthen this state of awareness between waking and sleeping? Osnabrück University’s Elena Gerhardt and team investigated. They divided

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Microplastic Exposure

  Mmm. Do I detect a faint sprinkle of…microplastics?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Tiny plastic particles called microplastics can enter our bodies through food ingestion. How?! Perhaps your kitchen cutting board is part of the problem? Enter Himani Yadav and team from North

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Cosmic Soup

SOS! Mars needs Miso! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Astronauts typically eat freeze-dried meals. They’re stable, nutritious, and…. BLAND! PLUS, space dulls taste buds. How can astronauts get their savory, umami flavors back? MIT’s Maggie Coblentz and team were on the case! They asked

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