Just 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

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PORE-t Hole Pals

Ahhhh-CHOO! Was that your neighbor, or your sponge?!   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.   Kitchen sponges are modeled after sea sponges. These marine animals have no brains or muscles. They just sit and eat all day! Sounds nice. But, what about cleaning off?

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Inclusive Brainwaves

There’s a new way to record brain WEAVES!   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.   Technology is due for some long-needed renovations. Some cameras don’t recognize the darker skin tones of Black people. There’s medical equipment that diagnoses sleep disorders and epileptic seizures. To

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Chill DOG-tor

Fido! What’s dogging you?   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.   It can be heartbreaking to see your nervous pup pacing restlessly. The brain function of dogs is a big mystery! What’s the key to calm their canine jitters?!    Enter Yangfeng Xu and

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Brain Drain

Think fast: what’d you have for breakfast?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Whether recalling mom’s birthday or where you set your keys down, memory can be fuzzy. But we should be able to remember something we just saw, right? Turns out, even very new

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Friendly Brains

Women forming heart gestures during daytime in a grass field

Birds of a feather flock together. But how about us humans? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Do you and your besties share a love of knitting? Schlocky horror movies? Barbershop quartets? Sure, but just how alike are you? Ryan Hyon from UCLA and colleagues

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Radio Brains

Could music be the KEY to healthy brains?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… saying… Be quiet! This is my jam! There’s nothing quite like good music to pick us up when we’re down. But could music help us recover from brain injuries?  That’s just

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Plastic Neurons

If neurons could watch TV, they’d watch the SODIUM CHANNEL! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Neurons are very complex cells in the brain. They’re responsible for EVERYTHING: memory, movement, feelings… But some diseases make neurons stop working, and the whole body is affected. How

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Big Brains

Plastic brain model

Big brain…tiny list of Facebook friends? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We, humans, are VERY smart mammals – if we do say so ourselves! Some say it’s because we have such big brains. But at what cost to society? Manuela González-Suárez at the University

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Coffee or Nap?

Two cups of coffee on a potable table placed on a bed

Foggy brain? How do YOU recharge your batteries — nap or coffee? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Chug down a grande frappuccino after lunch and whoa, you are rip-roaring and ready to go! But does coffee ACTUALLY help? Sara Mednick and colleagues at the

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