Beep, beep! That guy ahead’s not just a bad driver, he’s destroying the planet! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Stop-and-go traffic is maddening, AND it increases fuel use and emissions! Vindula Jayawardana and Cathy Wu from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wondered: can self-driving
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A benefit concert for the ocean? Try a reef instrument! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Like thriving happy homes—think laughing kids, barking dogs—healthy coral reefs bustle with noise. Damaged reefs are much quieter. Light can help larval polyps settle and coral reefs grow. “What
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Those wild birds eat WHAT? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Alice Dunbar and team from the University of South Australia studied the role of foraging on wild birds’ gut health. Okay, we mean coprophagy: eatin’ poop. Ew. But wait! Synthesizing previous studies on birds’
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Got… Insulin? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Over 10 percent of Americans have diabetes. With not enough insulin to regulate blood sugar, diabetics have to—ouch—inject it. If only we could just DRINK our insulin… wait… could we? Paulo Monzani and a team from the
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I’m not drinking alone! I’ve got… my plant friends! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Yes, plants have Thirsty Thursday too, especially in droughts. So, scientists want to stabilize crop growth during water restriction. Could the answer be… alcohol? Raise your glass to Khurram Bashir
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Aww c’mon, shed a tear! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying … It’s good for you, and our cells agree! To communicate, cells release tiny packages carrying genetic information and proteins that travel through us. They don’t know where these info-pacs go. But some
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Countdown to… NUMBER TWO?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many struggle with chronic constipation. But what causes this stoppage? Lauren Jones and Flinders University in Australia wanted to CLEAR THIS UP. Our gut contracts to move food along the digestive tract. Piezo2 is a
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You’re putting WHAT inside me?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Intestinal surgery can lead to life-threatening fluid leaks. Ultrasound is a tool that images our insides, but it has a hard time distinguishing fluids. For example, normal stomach fluids versus abnormal bleeding. Jiaqui Liu
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Looking for a stylish new handbag? On to the produce aisle! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Sustainable fashion is all the rage, but did you know mushrooms can be made into textiles?! Their fibrous mycelia innards are the reason why. But, processing these mushroom
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We are aliveeee with the sooounds of our boooodiess! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. From beats to burps, our bodily functions continuously make sounds – *RASPBERRY*… Wasn’t me… Anyway, changes or stops in bodily sounds can indicate a problem. What sort of problem? Enter
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