Let There Be Light

Feeling a bit DIM on the job? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. There’s a lot that goes into making a productive working environment. The decorations, layout, and AMBIENCE! But what about LIGHTING? Enter neuroscientist Joel Soler from Michigan State University. He split rats into

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Marching Orders

March for women! March for science! March for…the amygdala? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. There are many opportunities today to protest the status quo. But what inspires us to march? Hannah Nam at Stony Brook University researches the amygdala. That’s the almond-shaped cluster of

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Total Buzzkill

Today’s update is sure to … bring you down? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: That’s not exactly the goal of French medical researchers. They investigated the neurochemical basis of marijuana addiction. How? They got rats high by injecting them with marijuana’s active ingredient

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Offbeat Batter

When you’re asleep, how is your baseball game? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Every night, while we sleep, new memories from the day are thrown at our brains like baseballs from a pitcher’s mound. Our brainwaves swing at the perfect time to hit the

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Grabbing is Believing

Is seeing REALLY believing? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our world is full of things that demand our attention. Signs, lights, people! It should be overwhelming. But our brains are GOOD at prioritizing. How do they decide what’s most important? Meet Jacqueline Snow and

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Mind Over Manatee

Manatees: Just slow-witted, underwater bean bag chairs who swim into boat propellers, right? But wait! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Manatees got their bad rap a century ago. That’s when an anatomist cracked open the skull of a dead manatee and declared its smooth

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Mind Over Robot

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 new

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Baby Babble

Hey moms, it’s time to lean into your… baby talk? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. All parents know, it’s important to vocally interact with your babies. Your baby loves your voice. So talk! Sing! Babble! But how can we be sure our little cooing

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Nervous Nellies

Got a nervous habit? Maybe you’re a perfectionist! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Nail biting. Skin picking. Hair pulling. These are all examples of body-focused repetitive disorders—or BFRDs for short. Are they just nervous habits? Canadian researchers think not. They believe BFRDs are

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Your Cheatin’ Hormones

Can our hormones make us cheaters? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most discussions about cheating focus on ethics. But psychologist Robert Josephs, of the University of Texas at Austin, wondered: Are hormones involved? Because goodness knows hormones impact other decisions. If you know what

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