In the immortal words of Homer, “mmmm… donuts!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What’s today’s most common eating disorder? Binge eating! And it’s a major health crisis—more prevalent than breast cancer and HIV. Scientists are hard at work trying to find a solution. Enter
Continue readingTag: brain regions
Left Field
Does anxiety send you into left field? Literally? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and on emotional orientation! Psychologists in the UK report that a person’s emotions can steer where they walk. They say anxiety or inhibition can lead people leftwards. But overall positive vibes
Continue readingSpecial Delivery
Addiction – so complicated, I need a map! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We know that drugs and chocolate are addictive. We get a taste, and our brains tell us we want more! But WHY? The brain has special delivery systems that help drugs
Continue readingPoke-shaped Brain
Are Pokemon brainwashing our kids? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Kids, grownups, almost everyone can recognize Pikachu. This adorable yellow Pokemon is just so cute! Pika pika! He’s just one of hundreds of unique Pokemon. Like many, my own kids spent hours on those
Continue readingTyping Test
Practice makes perfect! Right? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’re learning to play the piano. You practice endlessly but you’re still stuck on “Chopsticks!” Is it your clumsy fingers, or is something ELSE slowing you down? Marlene Bönstrup from the National Institute of Health
Continue readingPUN-derstanding
Did you hear the one about the guy who lost his left arm? He’s all RIGHT now! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and on, yes, puns. Researchers Seana Coulson and Els Severens wondered, which side of the brain enjoys a good pun? They recorded
Continue readingSynchronized Serenity
Fight, flight, freeze and… breathe?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on science. Meditation and yoga are known to help with fear, anxiety, and panic attacks. Why is breathing so tightly connected to our emotions? At the University of Pennsylvania, Minghong Ma is hoping to find out.
Continue readingRevenge on the Brain
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. Can science help? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Your brain has specialized regions to handle various tasks. For example, your hippocampus is involved in memory processing. But how does the brain handle situations of
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