Your daily 90-second dose of real science for real people, with Sandra Tsing Loh!
Now that hockey season’s ending, let’s check the damage. To participants’ groins, teeth, ears? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Consider this study on hockey noise done by University of Alberta audiologists Richard Liu and William Hodgetts. To measure the overall noise during three play-off
Travelling on an airplane this flu season? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. AH-CHOO! Scootch scootch! Between the close quarters and recycled air, there’s a good chance you’ll catch something. You can try to protect yourself by wearing a mask or popping vitamin C. But
Do our pets experience the placebo effect? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The placebo effect is when people’s belief that a treatment is working makes them feel better. But we can also imagine that a treatment is making our pets better. So how can
Eat right so your pants won’t be tight! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, asking, but how? From Atkins to South Beach to vegan diets, new diet trends never stop! But all have mixed reviews. Is there a healthy meal plan that works for everyone?
Look out! Pothole! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Potholes and cracks. Every commuter’s nightmare. If only the problem could fix itself! Enter Congrui Jin and her team at Binghamton and Rutgers universities. They filled in the cracks by hiring some self-motivated construction workers. Who?
Did you know your nose has its own cycle? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A whopping eighty percent of us have a nasal cycle. Meaning that congestion alternates from one nostril to the other throughout the day. We just don’t usually notice because our
Sick of waiting for your ice cubes to freeze? Maybe the water is too cold! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Did you know that hot water FREEZES much faster than cold water? This paradox was first observed by Artistole centuries ago. It later became
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
A spoonful of sugar… makes your car lighter? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Carbon-fiber. It’s a defining feature of elite planes, racing cars and even sports equipment. This ultra-light material means cars need less fuel and you can swing that racket faster. But carbon-fiber’s
When it comes to helping strangers, what kind of ape are you? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You might think altruism is a uniquely human trait. For example, when lending a helping hand, chimpanzees tend to favor their friends. But do other primates show