Would you like some salad with your plastic fork? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science, saying… Shampoo bottles! Straws! Legos! Plastic is all around us, and A LOT of it ends up in oceans and lakes. Over time, plastic waste breaks into tiny pieces
Continue readingAging Brains
I’ve fallen — and my BRAIN can’t get up! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s no secret that aging can cause mental decline. But sometimes our bodies feel older than our brains, and vice versa! What gives?! Manu Goyal and colleagues at Washington University
Continue readingGetting Around
Darn it – lost again! I could swear I knew the way! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’re heading to work, and the freeway’s jammed! Maybe there’s a shortcut, but…NOW where are we?! Why do some of us seem to be so direction-ally challenged?
Continue readingThe One Ring
You too can be LORD of the RINGS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. This spring’s fashion statement? Wearable tech! Smart watches, clothing, earbuds… now smart RINGS?! Shwetak Patel’s team at University of Washington developed new technology that would thrill even Gollum! Inspired by smart
Continue readingHear That?
There’s something in the EAR tonight… and I don’t mean your Airpods! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We know that our inner ear contains HAIR CELLS that detect sound. But then what? How does the sound get into our brains? Bifeng Pan and colleagues
Continue readingCreature Feature
Got scary movies on the brain? Mmm…. BRAAAAIIINS….! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’re fascinated by cinema ghosts, ghouls – and zombies! Is it the thrill, or just masochism? Matthew Hudson and colleagues from the University of Turku investigated. They screened a scary-movie double
Continue readingBladder Glow
When you gotta go, you gotta go! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…where’s the next rest stop??! Overactive bladders? The worst! Too bad they can’t be controlled with a simple stop light! Or can they? Researchers led by Robert Gereau at Washington University
Continue readingGhost Gene
Ghosting – it’s not just for dating anymore! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most mammals live on dry land. But not manatees! Long ago, the ancestors of elephants jumped in for a swim and adapted to ocean life. Boom – manatees, AKA sea
Continue readingFlying in Hot
Superman versus…The Human Torch?!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What if our planes could fly “faster than a speeding bullet” – like Superman? But high speeds cause aircraft surfaces to get REALLY hot! How can we cool our jets? Enter Zhe Liu from Florida
Continue readingKindness Ripples
Like Grandma said, doing good makes you feel good! But can you PROVE it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Selfless acts like feeding the hungry warm your heart. But do they influence your FUTURE actions? Kristin Layous and colleagues from California State University, East
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