Radio Brains

Could music be the KEY to healthy brains?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… saying… Be quiet! This is my jam! There’s nothing quite like good music to pick us up when we’re down. But could music help us recover from brain injuries?  That’s just

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Plastic Neurons

If neurons could watch TV, they’d watch the SODIUM CHANNEL! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Neurons are very complex cells in the brain. They’re responsible for EVERYTHING: memory, movement, feelings… But some diseases make neurons stop working, and the whole body is affected. How

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Big Brains

Plastic brain model

Big brain…tiny list of Facebook friends? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We, humans, are VERY smart mammals – if we do say so ourselves! Some say it’s because we have such big brains. But at what cost to society? Manuela González-Suárez at the University

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Coffee or Nap?

Two cups of coffee on a potable table placed on a bed

Foggy brain? How do YOU recharge your batteries — nap or coffee? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Chug down a grande frappuccino after lunch and whoa, you are rip-roaring and ready to go! But does coffee ACTUALLY help? Sara Mednick and colleagues at the

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A Snooze Boost

Person sleeping

Exams…ugh! I’m drinking Red Bull and pulling all-nighters but I can’t remember ANYTHING! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. After a good night’s sleep, our memory is tip-top compared to when we’re more bleary-eyed. But how does a snooze help us remember? Jing Zhang and

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Time Flies

Just one more game of Mahjong Solitaire. . . What — it’s been six hours?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Does time REALLY fly when you’re having fun? Or does it just SEEM that way? Masamichi Hayashi Richard Ivry from UC Berkeley have some

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Bird Brainiacs

You’re SOOO bird-brained! But is that a bad thing? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The BRAIN uses the most energy of mammal organs. And neurons, the brain-body messengers, use LOTS of sugar to communicate. Birds have much SMALLER brains than most mammals, but can

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Just Do It

No time to exercise? There might still be a “runners high” on the way! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Whew! Just one more lap around the block! Or … hamster wheel? Even lab mice can get a “runners’ high!” And those who get their

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Telepathic Computer

Hunt…peck…hunt…peck… This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. I’ve been typing for days – and I’m STILL only halfway through this article! My fingers are ready to fall off! But wait! What if we could type WITHOUT lifting a finger? Francis Willett and team at Stanford

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Scents and Scents-ability

Is this milk still good to drink? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…. I’ll just sniff…ohh ugh no! Down the sink it goes! Our sense of smell helps us avoid expired milk – and other dangers! But how do our brains process these stinky

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