Alien Limbs

Coming soon… “The Leg from Outer Space!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and Alien Limb Syndrome! Patients with this condition describe feeling as if their arms and legs have a mind of their own. They’ll “scratch an itch” that doesn’t exist, or reach for

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Playing Defense

Have no fear! Nanoscavengers are here! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You won’t find nanoscavengers in the latest superhero comic, but they could protect you against dangerous nerve agents. Nerve agents are a deadly class of chemicals commonly used as weapons in wartorn areas.

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Trust Your Gut

Money can’t buy happiness…but can bacteria? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bacteria that live in our guts help us digest food. However, these little microbes do more than that! Recent studies show that the bacteria living in our bellies can influence overall physical health.

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Go Fish

The catch of the day is… extinct? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the last eighty years, wild seafood stocks have decreased by up to thirty-five percent. Rising sea temperatures aren’t helping! Fish are cold-blooded animals, which means they adapt to the temperature of

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Super-Sized DNA

How do YOU spell “alien D-N-A?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You probably know about DNA. It’s the genetic recipe book for all of life – at least, here on Earth! And it uses just four simple ingredients: the bases guanine, cytosine, adenine and

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Wise Old Tortoise

The secret to a long, healthy life? Ask a tortoise! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Lonesome George was a tortoise who passed away in twenty twelve — at a SPRY one hundred years old. Seriously, one hundred is young for a tortoise! Some have

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Hopping to the Rescue

The Easter bunny is here… with a basket full of fresh air? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Urban homes often contain high levels of pollutants, known as volatile organic carcinogens. These VOC’s include formaldehyde, benzene, and chloroform. Yuck! Certain house plants are a good,

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Night Vision

As “Game of Thrones” fans know — winter is coming! Let’s hope the white walkers don’t have night vision! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We humans aren’t the best at night vision. We detect motion with direction-selective ganglion cells, or DSGCs. Some specifically detect

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Under-see TV

Who lives in the pineapple under the sea? DOLPHINS?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Dolphins love to be entertained. While in captivity, they often play with pool noodles and balls. But a new study suggests that dolphins may benefit from a more… HUMAN pastime.

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Alien Limbs

Coming soon… “The Leg from Outer Space!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and Alien Limb Syndrome! Patients with this condition describe feeling as if their arms and legs have a mind of their own. They’ll “scratch an itch” that doesn’t exist, or reach for

Continue reading