Mapping Baby Names

What are Italian scientists interested in? Would you believe American baby names? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Ciao, bella. It’s true! Meet researchers from Sapienza University in Rome. They used our Social Security archives to analyze American baby names from 1910 to 2012.

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CSI Science Show

Does your IT guy have a criminal mind? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Forensic T-V shows can be fun and suspenseful to watch. Clues at crime scenes! Thrilling chases! DNA matches! But could a CRIMINAL watching these shows actually LEARN a thing or two?

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Tipping the Tables

Next time you’re sitting at a tippy restaurant table, don’t get mad. Think Wobbleology! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wobbleology is the science of, yes, wobbly restaurant tables. New Scientist magazine coined the term. But the credit goes to these folks: researchers at Monash

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Send in the Trolls

What makes Internet trolls tick? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: You’ve experienced trolls: people who will write anything online to make someone else look silly. These tricksters spew a lot of bile, but what are they like in real life? Maybe not that

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Happiness Unplugged

Is the key to your teen’s happiness… a smartphone? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. They’re texting, on Facebook, or playing games. They SEEM to be enjoying themselves. After all, they KEEP playing Candy Crush and scrolling through their news feed. But could all of

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Bridesmaids

Can your bridesmaids predict your lifespan? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scientists say personality somewhat predicts mortality. For example, inactive, fatty-food-loving people are susceptible to early heart attacks. Psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis were interested in this mortality connection. Problem is, most

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Smile Shot

Think you look bad in selfies? Blame your camera! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Beauty is a big business. All day, pictures of beautiful people claim certain products will make you beautiful, too. But researchers at Iran’s Islamic Azad University wondered: Can cameras play

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Scary Movie

Uh oh: blood-curdling screams aren’t just figures of speech anymore! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and a terrifying new study from Leiden University Medical Center. Researchers there showed a group of healthy volunteers the twenty-ten horror film “Insidious.” After a week, the same group

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It’s a Hit!

Want to make a hit song? Here’s the secret. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Pick up the mic and step to the back. At least that’s what University of Southern California research suggests. Their team analyzed over one-thousand songs that made it to

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