Watts Up Doc?

Can’t fall asleep without the comforting glow of your devices? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Cue record scratch GIF—sleeping with lights on is linked to diabetes and obesity! Why? Ivy Mason and team from Northwestern University had ten participants sleep one night in near-darkness,

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Sleep or Hide?

Go ahead, sleep in.  It’s good for ya! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Lee Hsiang Liow and colleagues of the University of Oslo identified over forty-five hundred mammal species exhibiting “sleep-or-hide” behavior.  Think tunneling, burrowing, or hibernating.  They then looked at the “Red List”

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Eye Remember That!

Welcome to the memory storage department – graveyard shift! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Your sleep is divided into different stages, each helping store memories from the day. But how does your brain sort through WHICH memories to keep? Enter Hongyu Chang and team

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Phosphate Fight Night

Is the key to better sleep… Enzyme fight club?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In tonight’s main event: Kinase vs Phosphatase! Kinases add specific molecules to other proteins, while phosphatases undo the work of the kinases. The activity balance of these proteins can determine

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Dreaming Spiders

Do spiders dream of… eight-legged sheep?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… saying… Wait! Spiders… dream? Well, to do that, they’d have to experience REM sleep. That’s a deep sleep state characterized by rapid eye movements. That’s when most of our HUMAN dreams occur!  Now,

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Sad Snoozers

Yawn! I’m tired, and also… sad? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever had a poor night’s sleep? You probably felt sluggish and struggled to get through the day. You’re not alone – more than thirty percent of adults are sleep deprived! Cara Palmer and

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Sleep Munching

I can’t sleep! It’s insom-NOM-NOM-NOM-ia time! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Who doesn’t love saving a little snack for later? Sometimes WAY later. During the summer, reindeer eat ALL DAY to get ready for winter. Their stomachs have FOUR chambers, including one to store

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Sweet Dreams

Don’t WEIGHT for better sleep This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Tossing and turning all night? You’re not alone. Getting a good night’s sleep can be hard. This is especially true for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or A-D-H-D. Is there a safe way

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The Twilight Zone

For your consideration: a baffling conundrum – a question without an answer. Next stop . . .The Twilight Zone! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. I’ve been puzzling over this Sudoku for HOURS! Maybe it’s time for . . . a trip to the inner

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Worth a Shot

Is your sleep quality ON THE ROCKS? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. WINE-ing about not getting a good night’s sleep? Maybe that after-work cocktail is to blame!  Dandan Zheng and researchers at Penn State University wondered whether alcohol intake affects sleep. To find out, they

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