“Gangnam Style”, “Despacito”, “Happy”…we LOVE music that goes viral! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…but what about a VIRUS that goes MUSICAL? Quick treatment of viruses requires understanding them. But different viruses have different proteins and genetic information, which take time to decode.
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Sparrow Sopranos
Early bird….catches the earworm?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Whether it’s tweedle-dee or chippity-chirp, birds all sing their own unique tunes. White-throated sparrows are best known for a distinct, rapid three-note finale in their musical serenade. BUT what happens when someone starts singing
Continue readingCroc Meets Bach
Do crocodiles like the Crocodile Rock …or do they prefer classical? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When you get a concussion, doctors use an MRI to take pictures of your brain. Remember that big hollow tube that patients lie down inside of on Grey’s
Continue readingLullaby and Goodnight
Waking up tired? There could be a SOUND solution! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A good night’s sleep is often… only a dream. What happens when medicine, warm milk, and counting sheep don’t do the trick? Björn Rasch and colleagues from the University of
Continue readingUltimate 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
Continue readingQuiet Creativity
Does your inner Van Gogh need a special jam? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Music, food for the ears and the soul! Many claim that listening to music gets their creative juices flowing. But what if background music actually STUNTS the creative process? Meet
Continue readingTelephone Champs
Who’s better at playing telephone – Schroeder or Charlie Brown? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Playing telephone – it’s tricky! You swear you heard that you won a new Toyota. Sorry – that’s a new toy YODA! Yun Nan from Beijing Normal University tested
Continue readingMusical Me
Could you be a musical genius and not even know it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We all know the names: Beethoven, Elvis, Brittney Spears. What is it that makes these artists so gifted? Could it be some innate personality trait? Scientists at the
Continue readingMusical Menu
Is the key to eating healthier. . . Kenny G? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science The mealtime choices we make are influenced by our environment. Bright lights, colorful restaurants, sticky icky menus, … even how loud the music is! Courtney Szocs and colleagues studied
Continue readingOcean Jazz
What’s a whale’s favorite music jam? Apparently: the bluuuuueees! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Forget Coachella – there’s a BIGGER music festival happening… deep in the North Atlantic ocean! The headliners? Breeding bowhead whales! All winter long, these whales flirt by singing songs to
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