Fast Life

  When’s lunch? I’m starving! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Fasting– it’s not just for colonoscopies anymore! In fact, it’s gaining ground as a health trend! Fasting can help people lose weight. But what ELSE happens when we fast? Takayuki Teruya and colleagues at

Continue reading

Feline Love

Cat got your… socio-cognitive attachment? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Unlike dogs, household cats tend to act like they own the place. They SEEM notoriously aloof and independent. But are they really? Kristyn Vitale from Oregon State University and her team tested how attached

Continue reading

Plastic Fantastic

  Would you like some salad with your plastic fork? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science, saying… Shampoo bottles! Straws! Legos! Plastic is all around us, and A LOT of it ends up in oceans and lakes. Over time, plastic waste breaks into tiny pieces

Continue reading

Aging Brains

I’ve fallen — and my BRAIN can’t get up! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s no secret that aging can cause mental decline. But sometimes our bodies feel older than our brains, and vice versa! What gives?! Manu Goyal and colleagues at Washington University

Continue reading

Getting Around

Darn it – lost again! I could swear I knew the way! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’re heading to work, and the freeway’s jammed! Maybe there’s a shortcut, but…NOW where are we?! Why do some of us seem to be so direction-ally challenged?

Continue reading

The One Ring

You too can be LORD of the RINGS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. This spring’s fashion statement? Wearable tech! Smart watches, clothing, earbuds… now smart RINGS?! Shwetak Patel’s team at University of Washington developed new technology that would thrill even Gollum! Inspired by smart

Continue reading

Hear That?

There’s something in the EAR tonight… and I don’t mean your Airpods! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We know that our inner ear contains HAIR CELLS that detect sound. But then what? How does the sound get into our brains? Bifeng Pan and colleagues

Continue reading

Creature Feature

Got scary movies on the brain? Mmm…. BRAAAAIIINS….! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’re fascinated by cinema ghosts, ghouls – and zombies! Is it the thrill, or just masochism? Matthew Hudson and colleagues from the University of Turku investigated. They screened a scary-movie double

Continue reading

Bladder Glow

  When you gotta go, you gotta go! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…where’s the next rest stop??! Overactive bladders? The worst! Too bad they can’t be controlled with a simple stop light! Or can they? Researchers led by Robert Gereau at Washington University

Continue reading

Ghost Gene

  Ghosting – it’s not just for dating anymore! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most mammals live on dry land. But not manatees!  Long ago, the ancestors of elephants jumped in for a swim and adapted to ocean life. Boom – manatees, AKA sea

Continue reading