Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition

Latest Episodes:

Mascarillas Oct 04, 2020

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Spiderman, Jim Carrey, y el Fantasma de la Ópera, ¿qué tienen en común? Que llevan máscaras! Nuestras queridas mascarillas tienen su origen en los pañuelos que utilizaban para cubrirse el rostro en los 1600s. Estos se convirtieron en las mascarillas quirúrgicas y, eventualmente, en las mascarillas-respirador N-95! ¡Las mascarillas no son sólo para villanos y superhéroes! Durante siglos, los mortales las hemos utilizado para protegernos. Empezando por los pañuelos y acabando por las mascarillas N-95, ¿cómo se ha mejorado la tecnología para crear las mascarillas actuales? ¿Cómo pueden protegernos contra enfermedades?

Traducido y grabado por Claudia López-Cámara.
Original escrito por Brenna Biggs.
Producción asesorada por Anny Celsi.

But Fluffy Needs Me Sep 10, 2020

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As society reopens, what will become of our four-legged friends? They spent all those months indoors as our officemates, distractions, and Zoom call buddies. Did anyone order some attachment issues?! Animal experts advise that dogs need time to adjust to their new, new normals... just like us! Give them time, space, and patience. Written and reported by Brenna Biggs. References:

Puente, M. Adoptions, fosters empty shelter cages during COVID-19 crisis, but there will always be homeless pets. USA Today (2020).
Nagasawa, M., Mogi, K., & Kikusui, T. (2009). Attachment between humans and dogs. Japanese Psychological Research, 51(3), 209-221.
Jackson, D. How do you ease your dog out of lockdown?. BBC Scotland (2020).

Super Sniffers Jun 03, 2020

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Long Description

Most of us didn’t see the pandemic coming, but could our puppy pals smell it?! Did you know that illnesses can have a “smell”? Canine noses are up to 100 thousand times more sensitive than ours. We’ve already trained dogs to sniff out certain types of cancer and even malaria! Could our canin counterparts sniff out coronavirus, too?

written and reported by Sumner L. Norman, PhD

References

1. UPenn launches COVID 19 canine scent detection study

2. Sniffer Dogs in the Melanoma Clinic? The Lancet (1989)

3. Dogs detect bladder cancer in urine samples

4. Dogs detect lung cancer in breath samples

5. Dogs detect ovarian cancer in blood samples

6. New study reports dogs successfully diagnosed malaria by sniffing socks worn by African children, EurekAlert (2018)

Dawn Chorus Jun 03, 2020

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Dawn. The time for sunrises, coffee, and extremely loud birds. Have they gotten noisier, or has the world quieted down?

Many theories can explain why our feathered friends sing. And although their “dawn chorus” seems like it got cranked to an eleven, ornithologists say that’s not the case. As our world quiets down to a whisper, birds have less competition. They’ve actually toned it down; we’ve just gotten better at listening.

Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.

References:

Pickett, P. Why Do Birds Sing So Early in the Morning?. Wild Birds Unlimited (2020).
Greene, D. Do Those Birds Sound Louder To You? An Ornithologist Says You're Just Hearing Things. NPR (2020).
Mayntz, M. The Dawn Chorus - What Birds Sing and Why?. The Spruce (2020).
Kacelnik, A. Studies of Foraging Behaviour and Time Budgeting in Great Tits (Parus major). (1979).

High Score Jun 03, 2020

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Extra quaran-screen time has revived a generations-old question: do video games really rot your brain?

Experts say… not exactly! Too much of a good thing is, of course, bad. Playing games nonstop can lead to anxiety, depression, and headaches. But, in moderation, video games help our brains level up! They can help us form memories, learn strategy, and even be nicer to our families. A definite plus while everyone is stuck together!

Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.

References:

Granic, I. Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds. American Psychological Association (2013).
Männikkö, N. Problematic gaming behaviour and health-related outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Health Psychology (2017).
Timing and correction of stepping movements with a virtual reality avatar. PLOS One (2020).
Bedinghaus, T. Video Games and Eyestrain. Very Well Health (2020).
Green, C.S.; Bavelier, D. Learning, Attentional Control, and Action Video Games. Current Biology (2012).
Granic, I; Lobel, A.; Engels, R. C. M. E. The Benefits of Playing Video Games. American Psychologist (2014).

Phage Wars Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

Not all viruses are as bad as coronavirus - some could be our friends! Bacteria cause illness as well, and sometimes gain resistance to our antibiotics! Fortunately, some scientists are working on a treatment using bacteriophage, a virus that specifically targets bacteria!

For more information, read up on bacteriophage here. Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.

Reference:

Lin, D. M., Koskella, B., Lin, H. C. “Phage therapy: An alternative to antibiotics in the age of multi-drug resistance.” World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther 8.3 (2017): 162-173.

Risky Business Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

Summertime sadness is taking on a new form due to quarantine. But there are steps we can take to lower our risk of exposure to coronavirus while still enjoying the outdoors! Take care to continue social distance and mask wearing, limit your time near others, and continue to wash those hands!

To learn more, Vox has an excellent article on social distancing in the summer which can be found here, as well as a general article on coronavirus transmission here. If you prefer your coronavirus news through social media, Samantha Yammine has curated a thorough list of coronavirus resources and suggestions on her Instagram and Twitter. Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.

Shotgun Vaccine May 27, 2020

Show notes

Vaccines take a lot of work and time. A turn around time of several years is considered fast! That is too slow to help with a pandemic that is here right now. But next generation vaccines promise something much quicker. How? With guns. Lots of guns. And by stealing the virus’s own tool to use against it!

'Rona Ramadan May 26, 2020

Show notes

Every year, many Muslims fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Meaning they don’t eat or drink anything from roughly before sunrise until after sunset. Ramadan of 2020 falls during the coronavirus outbreak and people are curious about the health implications. Research has shown that Ramadan fasting lowers levels of cholesterol and chemicals causing inflammation. Inflammation is normally a good thing, it’s part of our body’s natural immune response to an infection. However, too much inflammation is dangerous, so fasting may lower the potential for excessive inflammation. Another study suggests that Ramadan fasting reduces the risk of tuberculosis infection. There’s no guarantee that fasting will make you COVID free, but it’s good to know the potential impact it has on our immune system. Facts behind fasting are fascinating, try saying that five times FAST! Pun fully intended.

Written and reported by Bahareh Sorouri. Production consultant, Anny Celsi.

References:

Akrami Mohajeri F, et al. Dose Ramadan Fasting Affects Inflammatory Responses: Evidences for Modulatory Roles of This Unique Nutritional Status via Chemokine Network. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(12):1217‐1222.

Chronic Inflammation. National Institute of Health: National Cancer Institute (April 29, 2015).

Evans, M. Catholics told to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. The Telegraph (May 14, 2011).

Fasting in Buddhism. The Spiritual Life (May 3, 2019).

Fasting in Hinduism. Alimentarium (January 6, 2017).

Jaffa-Hoffman, M. Faith and fasting. The Jerusalem Post (September 18, 2018).

Lahdimawan, A, et al. (2014). Effect of Ramadan Fasting on the Ability of Serum, PBMC and Macrophages from Healthy Subjects to Kill M. Tuberculosis. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. 9. 24-29. 10.9790/3008-09132429.

Muslim Population by Country 2020. World Population Review (April 6, 2020).
Ramadan 2020: Fasting hours around the world. Al Jazeera (May 11, 2020).

Viral Mania May 26, 2020

Show notes

Viruses are everywhere, but most of them are rather harmless. An excellent example is the herpesvirus! As virologist Kennen Hutchison explains, almost all of us have a form of herpes. Chickenpox, cold sores, and shingles are all a type of herpes. Even the chickenpox vaccine means you have herpes! And once you have it, they stick around forever! But don’t freak out, because most cases of herpes don’t hurt us.

For more from Kennen Hutchison, you can follow him on Instagram and Twitter as well as his 'Science with Kennen' channel on Facebook and YouTube. For more on herpes viruses, you can check out this overview here. For more on viruses in general, you can read this short article here. Written and reported by Kennen Hutchison and Kellen Kartub, Ph.D. with production consultant Anny Celsi.

Reference: