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
Continue readingTag: brain
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
Continue readingBird 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
Continue readingJust 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
Continue readingTelepathic 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
Continue readingScents 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
Continue readingFriendly Brains
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
Continue readingImagine That!
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
Continue readingSooner or Laser
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?
Continue readingScrambled Brains
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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