Bad Apples

Apples

No kidding – that’s one BAD apple! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When choosing apples, do you grab the brightest one? Maybe you should give that off-colored produce a second look! Laura Bolos from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and colleagues recruited over

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Snoring in the Sty

Man sleeping and snoring with woman nexo to him with her hands on her ears

This little piggy…went to sleep? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Does your snoring bring the house down – literally?? It could mean you have sleep apnea! That’s when breathing repeatedly starts and stops during rest. But are humans the only ones with this sleep

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Periodic Table of Fruit

Periodic table substituting elements by fruits

Atoms, ions, carbon – Welcome to Chemistry one-oh-one! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The table of periodic elements – quite the alphabet soup! Phosphorus is a P, but Potassium is a….K?? I don’t get it! But what if it was…an edible arrangement? Gregory Watson

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Pharma-ATM

Prescription medication containers and pills

Gotta stop at the ATM for some cash – and some penicillin..?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You swing by the pharmacy, but the line is taking FOREVER. Do you wait? Or do you run to your next errand, completely forgetting your meds? Enter

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Plant Magicians

Fritillaria flower in different colors and diverse background environments

If you want to survive – hide in plain sight! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the mountains of southwest China grows a lucrative treasure called Fritillaria. This flower is commonly used in traditional medicine and comes in THREE colors – gray, brown, and

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Space Spiders

Spiderweb

Oh what a tangled web we weave…in space?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many spider webs found in nature are asymmetrical: their top part is smaller than the bottom. Could GRAVITY play a role in this off-center web weaving? Samuel Zschokke from the University

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That Platypus Glow

Fluorescent platypus seen under UV light

What has fur and GLOWS brighter than a Tyra Banks Smize?! (That’s a smile with your eyes.) This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some animals really light up a room…BUT only under ultraviolet light. This is called biofluorescence. Scientists believe mammals like possums use it

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Backyard Feast

Bird on a garden chair

Is your charming backyard a wildlife buffet? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Now that you’ve built your dream outdoor living space, could it be inviting foraging animals? Did that “wascally wabbit” raid your garden for tasty carrots? Enter Christopher Hansen and colleagues from the

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Lethargic Lizards

Lizard sunbathing

BRRR! Weather report: chilly with a chance of falling LIZARDS?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Like Florida retirees, tropical lizards LOVE the heat! If temperatures get too low, they get cold-stunned and can’t move. They can even fall right out of trees! Recently, South

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Sparrow Sopranos

A white-throated sparrow standing in grass

  Early bird….catches the earworm?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Whether it’s tweedle-dee or chippity-chirp, birds all sing their own unique tunes. White-throated sparrows are best known for a distinct, rapid three-note finale in their musical serenade. BUT what happens when someone starts singing

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