Loud Learning

BEEP BEEP! HONK HONK!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.  The damage from vehicle emissions to our environment is obvious. But what about noise pollution’s toll on US? Enter Maria Foraster and colleagues from the IS Global Research Institute in Spain.  They examined the effects

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Eating for Exercise

Exercise? I thought you said EXTRA FRIES!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. After a long run or a heavy lift session, our appetites are often suppressed! Why does that happen? Where’s the beef? Enter Veronica Li and colleagues from Stanford University.  They analyzed blood

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Case of the Cravings

Take a trip to the deli… or go for doughnuts with jelly!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying… Who’s calling the shots… your brain or your belly?! A BALANCED diet is critical for survival. So WHY do we sometimes crave a bacon cheeseburger or

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Plastic Pacman

“You’re not leaving the table until you finish your… plastic?!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A really inconvenient truth? Sort those colored bins as we like, only a small percentage of plastics can actually be recycled. Most end up in landfills, or burned, causing

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Mr. Mice Guy

Are you a social butterfly by nature…or nurture? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Early life adversity or ELA refers to negative experiences during childhood. Think: neglect and poverty. These experiences influence adult behavior, but HOW? Kara Wendel and colleagues from the University of California,

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Brontosaurus Bronchitis

ACHOO! I’m feeling so Juras-SICK!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… What’s worse than a horse with hay fever? A dino-SAUR throat! Enter Cary Woodruff from The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and some paleo-centric colleagues. Their test subject? A one hundred and fifty MILLION

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Bio Friendly Bacteria

What do cheese, beer and sauerkraut have in common? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science – saying…. FERMENTATION – a process that uses bacteria to make a picnic! But what ELSE can it do? From nail salons to ball pits, acetone and isopropanol are all

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Scent Smarts

Big city life – the sights, the sounds, the smells…is that PIZZA?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.  We can smell a warm slice ANYWHERE! But how is it that our nose ALWAYS knows?  Srinath Nizampatnam and colleagues at the University of Washington in St.

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Blood Reboot

Let’s get these blood cells into shape! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Sickle cell anemia is a genetic condition that makes round red blood cells crescent- shaped. These cells can’t carry oxygen, which causes them to die early, blocking blood vessels. Patients with sickle

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Pimple Power

Pimples – they pack a PUNCH!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying “put up yer dukes!”.  Our skin is home to more than one TRILLION microorganisms, battling for domination!  So Anyo Tsuro and colleagues from Osaka City University staged a Battle of the Bacteria!

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