Woodland Growth

Ahh, birds chirping, leaves rustling … brains GROWING? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A nice walk in the woods does wonders for a busy mind. But how does growing up near woods-y areas help DEVELOPING minds? Researcher Mikaël Maes at Imperial College London and

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Three Thumbs Up

What could YOU do with a third thumb? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying … win a thumb wrestling contest – hands down! Prosthetics are a great solution for people who are missing limbs. But could they also give us a little something EXTRA? 

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Speedy Sponges

As these sponges filter water for food, they collect DNA that can be used for biodiversity surveys. A. RIESGO

Whoooo lives in a pineapple under the sea?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. SpongeBob Squarepants is quite the active sea sponge! But scientists have long assumed that REAL sea sponges can only move early on in life. As adults, they’re thought to settle down

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Slimey Memories

Slime mold.

Is slime for brains so bad? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Organisms with brains can remember important things. Where to get food, how to build shelter, where I left my car keys . . . But what about organisms WITHOUT brains?  Enter Mirna Kramar

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Future Thinking

Image of kid doing the dishes.

Kids, remember to pick up your toys! No, ALL the toys! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Do your homework! Take out the trash! Rinse off those dishes! Chores often slip our kids’ minds. Why? Because their ability to remember previously planned actions — prospective

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Current Events

Coral reefs in ocean

Can corals live life in the fast lane? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Aren’t coral reefs gorgeous?! Sure! But did you know that nearly half of coral species are found deep below the sea, in cold water? Yet, with climate change come faster and

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Sooner or Laser

Microscope

Ever tried to get inside someone’s head – literally?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scientists learn a lot about OUR brains by studying animal brains. But you can’t see individual cells without poking tiny holes in their skulls! Yoiks! Is there a better solution?

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Fractal Beauty

Green leaves with the same pattern

Beauty is in the eye of … little kids? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever get lost in the clouds? Hypnotized by ocean waves? If you’ve spent time looking at the veins on a leaf or branches on a tree, you know that nature

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Cellular Time Travel

Elder person upper face looking at the camera

Could Benjamin Button’s secret be… cellular? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Can you read the fine print in this internet service contract? Neither did I! As we age, our genes age too, causing a myriad of annoying changes — including loss of vision. What

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Suction Saves the Day

Suction tool taking a tissue sheet and placing it on a hand

Got a delicate job to do? Call an octopus! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You wouldn’t use barbecue tongs to pick up your contact lenses! Now think of surgeons. In performing transplants, they have to transport delicate skin tissue. Sensitive, accurate tools are needed

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