Can bats see into the future? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. SWOOP! A black blob dashes by – BATS! Their flight path seems so random – how do these speedy creatures keep track of where they are and where they’re going? Nicholas Dotson and
Continue readingTag: neuroscience
Making Friends
Hey – didn’t we meet a Central Perk? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wasn’t Friends the best show ever? I felt I knew Jennifer Aniston better than my own sister! But… Is that possible? Géza Gergely Ambrus at Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany
Continue readingScent Smarts
Big city life – the sights, the sounds, the smells…is that PIZZA?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We can smell a warm slice ANYWHERE! But how is it that our nose ALWAYS knows? Srinath Nizampatnam and colleagues at the University of Washington in St.
Continue readingSuper-Script
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
Continue readingBrain Synch
“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
Continue readingJust Do It
No time to exercise? There might still be a “runners high” on the way! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Whew! Just one more lap around the block! Or … hamster wheel? Even lab mice can get a “runners’ high!” And those who get their
Continue readingRx: Love
Can love “ACTUALLY” make the world more beautiful? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ah, love – it makes us see everything through “rose-colored glasses.” At least, according to the movies. We feel great and life just seems…well, lovelier! But wait – does love REALLY
Continue readingScents and Scents-ability
Is this milk still good to drink? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…. I’ll just sniff…ohh ugh no! Down the sink it goes! Our sense of smell helps us avoid expired milk – and other dangers! But how do our brains process these stinky
Continue readingSinging in the Brain
I’m singing in the…BRAIN? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Don’t you love singing in the shower? Who CARES if anyone’s listening! But for many stroke patients, singing – or even speaking – are off the table. A stroke can cause a condition called anarthria.
Continue readingSweet Dreams
Dreaming of a good night’s sleep? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Feeling tired–and awful?? You’re not alone! Dreaming, also called rapid eye movement or REM sleep, is important for health. And poor REM sleep has been linked to problems like Alzheimer’s disease! Enter Chia-Jung
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