Tangled Tongues

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

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Cake or Broccoli?

A small bowl of chopped broccoli on top of a wooden cutting board

Toddlers – they always seem to get the last word! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying… Heads or tails? When adults are asked this, eighty percent pick heads. The FIRST option. But what about toddlers – which would they choose? Emily Sumner from the

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What’s in a Name?

Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, for abstract art, maybe the meaning is in the name? Does the title of a piece influence how we feel

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Reading Rules

Multilinguals unite! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Head, shoulders, knees, and NOSE, knees and….NOSE??  Huh? When reading unexpected words, we respond differently based on how many languages we speak. Why is that?  Megan Zirnstein and her team at the University of California, Riverside, dug

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Jackass Penguins

What did that jackass just say to me?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. African penguins have been nicknamed “JACKASS” penguins thanks to their donkey-like braying calls. But does their language have anything in common with OUR language? A scientific team led by David Reby

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Ultimate Language

Bonjour! Guten tag! Buenos dias! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science, saying… Learning a second language is daunting! All those new words, new rules… Grr! What if there was a language EVERYONE could understand? Samuel Mehr from Harvard University wondered – could MUSIC be that

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PUN-derstanding

Did you hear the one about the guy who lost his left arm? He’s all RIGHT now! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and on, yes, puns. Researchers Seana Coulson and Els Severens wondered, which side of the brain enjoys a good pun? They recorded

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Singing Mouseketeers

Mousey in conversations? You’re not alone! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some conversations just flow naturally. Others…not so much! Imagine small talk with the in-laws! Ugh! You have to tiptoe around sensitive topics, AND coordinate a hundred different mouth muscles! How does your brain

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Loosened Lips

Does my margarita make me MORE articulate? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down Science. Alcohol affects how our brain works and remembers. Many bilingual speakers claim their foreign language skills IMPROVE after a drink. But is it just liquid courage? Fritz Renner at Maastricht University in the

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Tangled Tongues

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

Continue reading