What’s the best recipe – add or subtract? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine preparing your aunt’s salsa recipe. A taste, and HMMMM … add extra salt? Or does it need less chili? How do humans approach such life’s important life challenges? Gabrielle Adams
Continue readingTag: psychology
Help Needed
HELLLP! Somebody nabbed MY grocery cart in the Trader Joe’s parking lot! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The “bystander effect” claims that individuals are less likely to help when other people are around. But what’s the chance that at least ONE person steps up?
Continue readingPerfection Perception
It’s hard to be a millennial—when you’re a millennial? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Overachievers. OCD. Helicopter parents. Buzz words, sure, but are these tied to real phenomena? Enter researchers from the UK, Thomas Curran and Andrew Hill. They compiled over one-hundred-and-fifty studies from
Continue readingSweet Sleep
Before you kill your quarantine partner, listen up! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Laughter, cuddles, and emotional support AREN’T ALL your partner can give you. Ever wonder WHY you sleep better when you’re sleeping together? Henning Drews and his colleagues from the University of
Continue readingDark Side
Do we all have an “evil twin?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’re not proud of our flaws and dark tendencies. Yet, we may secretly cheer for villains like Loki or Lord Voldemort. Why do we fan-out over fictitious bad guys?! Rebecca Krause and
Continue readingPoor PRESENTations
You shouldn’t have! No… really… you shouldn’t have. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Disappointment… NOT the reaction I want after giving a present. Can gift wrap help guarantee love at first sight? Jessica Rixom from the University of Nevada and colleagues thought YES… with
Continue readingFake Hand
What if living with OCD could be oh so easy? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Obsessive hand-washing is the norm these days! But for those with obsessive compulsive disorder, repetitive tasks like hand washing can take over their life. Typical OCD treatment comes in
Continue readingBinge-Eating Mind
In the immortal words of Homer, “mmmm… donuts!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What’s today’s most common eating disorder? Binge eating! And it’s a major health crisis—more prevalent than breast cancer and HIV. Scientists are hard at work trying to find a solution. Enter
Continue readingFace Value
Do we take scientists at face value? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For better or worse, first impressions are everything. Studies show that people make snap judgments about personality and competence based on looks. Could scientists face the same bias from the public? Does
Continue readingYummy Water
Does water have a flavor? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our tongue has taste buds to detect if something is sweet, sour, bitter, or salty. But how do we taste water? A team from Caltech may have uncovered the HIDDEN taste of water. How?
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