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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Friendly Brains

Women forming heart gestures during daytime in a grass field

Birds of a feather flock together. But how about us humans? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Do you and your besties share a love of knitting? Schlocky horror movies? Barbershop quartets? Sure, but just how alike are you? Ryan Hyon from UCLA and colleagues

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Imagine That!

Watercolor colors, brushes, and a notebook on a wooden table

Is your BRAIN looking lonely? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What do you do when you feel lonely? Cry into a tub of ice cream…or use your imagination to create art, write poetry, or even paint! Could your lonely brain be filled with hidden

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Sooner or Laser

Microscope

Ever tried to get inside someone’s head – literally?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scientists learn a lot about OUR brains by studying animal brains. But you can’t see individual cells without poking tiny holes in their skulls! Yoiks! Is there a better solution?

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Scrambled Brains

Two white shell eggs and two brown shell eggs

Humpty Dumpty had a great…AAHHHH! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ten-hut! …and OUCH! There’s a reason football players wear helmets! Our brains are soft tissue bathed in fluid and surrounded by a hard skull. Like eggs! But concussions can happen even WITHOUT cracking that

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