brains – The Loh Down On Science

Contagious Itch

January 23, 2023 Tiffany Raber

It’s the Itchy and Scratchy Show! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Everyone’s sitting ‘round the campfire when someone gets bit by a MOSQUITO. First THEY’RE itchy… suddenly… EVERYBODY’s itchy! Is it a mosquito attack or something…else? Zhou-Feng Chen and team from Washington University were

Health Tracker

June 7, 2022 Jing Zhang

Do you need damage control – for your brain? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Whoaaaa a frosty snowboarding WIPEOUT ! My Apple Watch says I took a fall… But what I want to know is: how’s my head? Enter Yan Dong and team from

Brain Synch

March 24, 2022 Grace Chan

“Once upon a time…” could be more than a fairy tale! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science…and storytelling as mind control!? Enhui Xie and Qing Yin from East China Normal University and colleagues wondered. Could telling stories turn strangers into friends?? Thirty-two volunteers were split

Outsider’s Tragedy

October 27, 2021 Ying Huang

What’s not out about being IN? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Someone got a flat tire on the highway – poor guy! You would definitely stop to help a friend, but hesitate when it’s a stranger… why? Inbal Ben-Ami Bartal from UC Berkeley and

F-ANT-astic Queen

July 19, 2021 Janielle Vidal

This image reveals a worker jumping ant Harpegnathos saltator murdering the queen. The queen had just torn off her own wings after a successful mating and was scouring the forest floor in search for a suitable nest site.

Does being a mom make you lose brain cells? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The queen is usually the only ant who gives birth in a colony. And most queens are born, not made. But Indian Jumping Ants are special! Some female worker ants

Fresh Brains!

July 14, 2021 Heidi Waite

Besides zombies . . . who ELSE loves BRAINS?? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… Scientists! For research, they sometimes use brain tissue surgically removed to reduce seizures from epilepsy patients. Usually, the brain cells are tested more than twelve hours AFTER removal. But

Mind Over Robot

December 2, 2020 Ted Yoo

Scheme showing a monkey activating controller with its hand and its brain decoding the movement

Mind over matter! And robots? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Advanced prosthetics hook up a robotic limb directly to your brain. Though still rudimentary, researchers hope to restore natural movement, and even touch, to amputees. But can brains really adapt and control this

Tangled Tongues

October 22, 2020 Krista Fruehauf

Polyglot your tongue? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many people think they are too old to learn a new language. Supposedly, young kids pick up languages faster because their brains are still developing. But is any of that really true? Joshua Hartshorne, Joshua Tenenbaum, and

Naptime For Jellies

September 30, 2020 Jessica Monterrosa Mena

Sleep is for the weak. Or is it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. During sleep, the brain declutters, organizes memories, and rejuvenates. But what about animals without a brain? Do they ever need a snooze? Enter the Cassiopea jellyfish. With no heart, bones, or

Gut Feeling

July 30, 2020 Xinyu Li

Lady smiling and eating healthy raspberry.

Psst! Is your stomach playing telephone – with your brain? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Let me think… Is it dinner time yet? Your brain keeps tabs on your stomach. Whether it’s time to digest or eat up. But does your gut TALK BACK?!