Global Glow

Biofluorescent Springhares

Pop quiz: What hops. . . and glows?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’ve told you about glowing platypuses in Australia. And there are possums in the Americas that glow too! This glow-in-the-dark feature is called biofluorescence. Where else in the world can we

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Unfolding Secrets

Historic sealed letters

Somebody’s reading my mail! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Three hundred years ago, letters had no envelopes. Instead, people folded them to make sure they could be delivered safely. Historians have found over five hundred unopened letters from Renaissance Europe. Is there a way

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Into the Woods

Forest seen from above

Into the woods we go, Hansel, Gretel and… CO2? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the musical, the wicked witch was the baddie in the woods. As far as the planet goes, the baddie is greenhouse gases – or CO2. It’s a big contributor

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Big Brains

Plastic brain model

Big brain…tiny list of Facebook friends? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We, humans, are VERY smart mammals – if we do say so ourselves! Some say it’s because we have such big brains. But at what cost to society? Manuela González-Suárez at the University

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Eight Punches

Brown octopus

Why did the octopus punch the fish? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Remember those school yard bullies from grade school? They’d just push people over and start punching! But imagine if these kids had EIGHT FISTS! Eduardo Sampaio from University of Lisbon, Portugal, and

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Planting Secrets

Trees in a forest

Plants and climate change: a love-hate relationship! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a major contributor to climate change. But it’s also a plant food source. When the sun shines, plants turn CO2 into food! So, back when there were

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Visible Water

Moon and stars

Dream vacation of the future? How about…the Moon! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying, well….someday! Imagine…you’re just finishing your first tour of the lunar surface. All that crater-hopping can make you thirsty!  But wait… who packed the water?! NASA’s Casey Honniball says: don’t worry!

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Flier Friendly

Wind farm on a green mountain terrain

Frequent fliers? More like frequent colliders! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Here you are, a bird in flight, minding your own business. Suddenly – SQUAWK! OH NO! A WIND FARM! Fly back!!! Wind energy might help save the planet, but it’s deadly to birds.

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Lone Phone

All by myself….! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Being a teenager has always been challenging! My flashbacks to middle school are scary enough! But apparently now it’s becoming even harder. Many teens today report feeling lonelier than previous generations did!  But WHY? Jean Twengea

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Singing in the Brain

I’m singing in the…BRAIN? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Don’t you love singing in the shower? Who CARES if anyone’s listening! But for many stroke patients, singing – or even speaking – are off the table. A stroke can cause a condition called anarthria.

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