Words can change your mind… literally! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Language is a huge part of human development. But can the language we speak physically affect our brains? Xuehu Wei and team at the Planck Institute in Germany wondered. They compared brain scans
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Smiley face emoji, SENT! But are you REALLY smiling? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Since ancient times, humans have used symbols to convey thoughts and feelings. The modern “emoji” is no different. But how might these images impact our mental health? Moyu Liu at
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Do acronyms make you say “T-M-I” or “I-D-K”? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Can your doctor tell an UPPER ARM from a UTERINE ARTERY? You’d better hope so — your flu shot only goes in ONE of those places! But in medicine, the acronym
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HELP! Turn on the bat-signal! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Like birds, bats have wings. But they’re actually mammals like humans! Like us, they’re social creatures and have to learn to talk to one another. How? Ahana Fernandez, from Leibniz Institute for Evolution and
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How do YOU channel your inner Aaron Sorkin? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we’re gabbing with our besties, the words just tumble out like an episode of The West Wing. But from where? How DO our brains produce the quick back-and-forth of conversational
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I’m a poet and I show it – my feet are Longfellows! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. No offense, Dad – but Dad jokes are THE WORST! Sometimes you can’t help but laugh. Or…you might share the laughter — just to be polite! Enter
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Sit! Stay! Speak…in a foreign language? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Time for a WALK! Here’s your TREAT! Dogs perk right up when they hear familiar words. But if we spoke in another language, would they notice? Enter Laura Cuaya and team at Eötvös
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Arf! Arf! Is that seal trying to tell me something?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. That barking noise seals make is just the BEGINNING of their communication skills! Harbor seals can also imitate sounds, like parrots! And Laura Borda and her team from Max
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Don’t count your HENS before they’re hatched! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In 2015, the gender-neutral pronoun “hen” was added to the official Swedish dictionary. In Swedish that could mean any person, regardless of gender! The word has been in widespread use there since
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Learning your A-B-Cs? Piece of cake! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying — You just have to remember the song! But what if the language you’re learning doesn’t have A-B-Cs? What’s the best way to learn a foreign alphabet – reading, typing or writing?
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