Blink of an Eye

Common adult grackle (dark bird with gren/blue head)

I’ll be there in the blink of an eye….literally? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine you’re a bird, flying through the air….The wind glides off your feathers as you swerve and swoop high above. But one blink…and CRASH landing! Yet blinking keeps eyes moisturized

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Sweaty Fingers

Fingerprint in a glass

Dropped your phone again? Don’t sweat it! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our fingerprints help us grip slippery smooth surfaces like phones or drinking glasses! But how? Seoung-Mo Yum at Seoul National University and colleagues started scanning fingerprints. Four participants pressed their finger pads

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Chewing Out Invasives

Branch of mimosa tree with yellow mimosa flowers

Who doesn’t love a delicious Mimosa? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying no, not the cocktail – the plant! It’s an invasive shrub, native to Africa. And water buffalo love it! But when Mozambique’s civil war wiped out large leaf-eaters in Gorongosa National Park,

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Circle of Friends

Three women posting for picture

Your best friend is MY best friend? Is that even allowed? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A breakup, bad work presentation, or family drama. Sometimes we just need to vent with our friends! We all need people to lean on. But why do some

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Skyscraper Sunscreen

Chicago's skyline

Do skyscrapers need. . . sunscreen? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s a concrete jungle out there, and a HOT one! Cooling big city skyscrapers with AC burns LOADS of energy. Could we save money and the environment by slathering buildings with sunscreen? Xiangyu

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Social Shark

A grey reef shark's head, dorsal fin, and pectoral fin with some blurred rocks in the background

  Social butterfly… or social SHARK? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The shark in “Jaws” was depicted as a lone, ferocious predator. But could sharks actually have FRIENDS? Yannis Papastamatiou, David Jacoby and colleagues dove into shark-infested waters to find out. They put radio

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Sweet Gut

Spoon full of sugar with extra sugar spilling over

  In your coffee — Sugar or Splenda? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our bodies CRAVE sugar for energy. Artificial sweeteners and sugar activate our sweet-sensing taste buds. But substitutes like Splenda and Sweet n’ Low don’t fully satisfy us. Why is that? Hwei-Ee

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World Smiles Back

Close up photo of a women's smile and dark hair

  Smile, and the world smiles back? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… Cheer up! You look so much better when flaunting those pearly whites. But does smiling REALLY lift our spirits? Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos from the University of South Australia and colleagues wondered. Does

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Ocean Influencers

Three dolphins swimming just under the surface of the water.

Just cuz all your friends are doing it…? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Teenage years: a time to try new things! For better or worse. Some stuff we learn from our parents, other stuff from friends. Dolphins are no different! Case in point? Shelling!

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Soft Dino Shells

A clutch of soft-shelled snake eggs surrounded by dirt

Which came first? The chicken or the soft shelled egg?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For ages it was believed that dinosaur eggs were hard shelled – like chicken eggs! But is there a crack in that theory?  Mark Norell and colleagues from the

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