What if your snack… talked back? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Birds often copy each other, but some even mimic their predators. Why? Enter Trinity Harvey and team at Cal Poly Humboldt. They tracked forty-nine Steller’s Jays in California. For a year, researchers followed
Continue reading
Do you ever think your sibling comes from a different species entirely? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Children usually look like their parents! But… what about ants? Yannick Juvé and team from the University of Montpellier played Maurie Povich for harvester ants. Ant males
Continue reading
An elephant never forgets… but here’s my card, just in case. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Elephants are one of the most social animal species on earth! They even have names for each other! Who? Michael Pardo and team from Colorado State University recorded
Continue reading
Do you know which polished plumage contains a scintillating secret?! Zap! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We know lasers from barcodes, surgeries… even cat toys! Human-made lasers usually rely on carefully engineered mirrors or crystals. But Anthony Fiorito the Third and team wondered: could
Continue reading
Have you ever ACTUALLY seen red? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying… Infrared that is! Infrared light is radiation that’s invisible to the naked eye, but can be felt as warmth. You can see it with heat vision goggles, and some cameras. But what
Continue reading
Is doggie disease detection a question of… attitude?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet the medical detection dog! These pups sniff out disease. But are some dogs better suited for the job? Enter Sharyn Bistre Dabbah and team from the University of Bristol. They
Continue reading
Moth to flame? More like… suns out, buns out! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Picture this: it’s a warm summer night. You flip on the porch light – and in swarm the bugs! Scientists have long wondered why are flying insects drawn to artificial
Continue reading
No sunlight and few snacks… sounds like paradise… for an anglerfish! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For decades, scientists assumed harsh deep-sea conditions limited evolution. No sunlight and fewer resources could lead to fewer weird fish. But is that true? Elizabeth Miller and team
Continue reading
FORE! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Golf courses need pesticides to maintain lush playing greens. Pesticide exposure has been linked to Parkinson’s disease – a brain disorder affecting movement. Could living near a golf course put your health in the rough? Enter Brittany Krzyzanowski
Continue reading
Polly want… an iPad? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Pet parrots are smart and social, but often live alone. Their isolation can lead to stress, poor well-being, even self-harm. BUT, co-housing parrots can spread disease. Ew. Is… the answer… Zoom?!? Rebecca Kleinberger and team
Continue reading