Where are those Spanx I ordered?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We want our packages delivered ASAP! Sounds simple, right? Well, not computationally. A computer measures distance for every possible combination of delivery paths. For eight stops…that’s two thousand paths! Is the smarter way.
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Can it be that we are addicted . . . to the sun? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet David Fisher of Harvard Medical School. According to his new study, exposure to the sun’s UV rays releases endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones. These activate
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Sometimes a brain is just a brain! Or is it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most animals have brains that are pretty similar to ours. But animals didn’t split the atom, invent the iPhone, or make it to the moon. What makes OUR brains
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Do slippery roads mean…sour grapes? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When winter weather causes dangerous driving, salt is often used to melt the ice and make streets less slippery. But is this for the best? Mehdi Honarvar Nazari from Washington State University doesn’t think
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You’ve got a friend in… a parrot? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We all need a helping hand every now and then! Can birds lend a helping…beak? Désirée Brucks from the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology says, yes! She tested two types of parrots.
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With age comes wisdom…and weight? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In high school, you can inhale Twinkies and stay beanpole thin, but that changes with time. Oh, the beer bellies! The love handles! WHYYYYY??!! Peter Arner from Karolinska Institute says it could all be
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Are children’s toys making your head spin? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The centrifuge is an essential lab tool. It’s like a really powerful salad spinner. It can separate fluids into layers based on their density. Centrifuges are critical for diagnosing diseases like malaria.
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Should I say NO to that second glass of wine? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For some, drinking moderately is difficult. But why? Lindsay Halladay from Santa Clara University and colleagues wondered. The researchers first trained mice to press a lever for an alcohol
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Smackdown! Scorpion venom versus resistant bacteria, who will win? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scorpion stings pack a painful punch! But how do they fare in the fighting ring against smaller foes: antibiotic-resistant bacteria? Enter Richard Zare and colleagues from the National Autonomous University
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Why did the CUTTLEFISH wear glasses?! For science, of course! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science. Cuttlefish aren’t fish — but they ARE amazing creatures. They can instantly change color to fool predators and prey. But how do they SEE their surroundings? Still a mystery!
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