Four of our very own ascend the ranks at UC Irvine Grad Slam! Contestants are challenged to explain the blood, sweat, and tears of their graduate research in just THREE minutes. The winner goes on to compete in the system-wide competition among all the Universities of California. This year, Karen
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Hummingbirds: Cute little nectar sippers, or battle-hardened killers? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Hummingbirds are darling! But it’s a bird-eat-bird world –sometimes they have to fight to survive! At University of California, Berkeley, Alejandro Rico-Guevara studies the evolution of hummingbirds. He wondered: What can
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You stubbed your toe! Oh, fudge- Words you can’t say on the radio! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science asking: Why do we swear when we’re hurt? In 2009, that’s what psychologists of Keele University in the UK wondered. They led a study on the
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Which is more powerful? Nature or nurture? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying – what about “mind control?” Some aspects of our physiology and personality are encoded by our genes. And we know that environmental factors are also important. Bradley Turnwald and colleagues at
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What’s YOUR biggest “fear factor?” Heights? Snakes? CLOWNS??!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Whatever your phobia, it can be paralyzing! To overcome our fears, we can expose ourselves to them bit by bit. But it’s a slow process. Enter a research group led by
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Are you shy? Maybe your T-cells are to blame! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. T-cells are the body’s immune warriors. They fight off invaders and keep you healthy! But what if your army of cells is short a few good men? You might get
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Just say “no” to plastic straws. Think of the turtles! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Plastic is everywhere – in packaging, fast-food containers … dirt?! Yes, dirt! Farmers sometimes mix plastic chips with mulch to improve plant growth. But the plastic stays in our
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If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a…rocket scientist? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Conceptual thought has led to great achievements. Think Einstein’s theory of relativity or Shakespeare’s plays. Animals like dogs and monkeys can also think conceptually.
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Is it the end of men? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Men. Who needs ‘em! Not some female sharks, spiders, and komodo dragons. They can create babies on their own. Mammals are different. For us, certain genes important for embryonic development are turned OFF
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Keep your hands out of your food! Unless they’re. . . robot hands? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Taste is the sensation triggered by our taste buds when they recognize flavor molecules. Chocolate – yum! Kale – not so much. But what if science
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