Do acronyms make you say “T-M-I” or “I-D-K”? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Can your doctor tell an UPPER ARM from a UTERINE ARTERY? You’d better hope so — your flu shot only goes in ONE of those places! But in medicine, the acronym
Continue readingAuthor: Sebastian Waz
Perilous Peanuts
Is the cure for peanut allergies … MORE peanuts? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We all know the rules: don’t bring peanuts to the potluck! Allergic reactions are no joke: we’re talking hives, swelling, trouble BREATHING. Can we prevent this nutty nastiness? Lianne Soller
Continue readingDaunted Dingoes
You’ve heard of scarecrows – how about scare-DINGOES?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Australian wolves, known as DINGOES, prey on farmers’ livestock. When they’re caught having a farm fresh meal, it becomes their LAST meal. Is there a…FRIENDLIER way to fend off predators? Enter
Continue readingBlockheads
Are the building blocks for math skills… literal building blocks? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Luis builds a tower. Kim builds a town. Rosie crashes in, and it all falls down! Building blocks are great for preschoolers playing pretend, but do they REALLY teach
Continue readingErotic Economics
“For richer or for poorer” — beyond marriage vows, does this also fuel. . . PASSION? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Valentine’s Day is upon us! LOVE is in the air. You might celebrate by SMOOCHING with someone special. But why do people meld
Continue readingFriendly Felines
If you love cats, blink once! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Unless your kitty is Garfield, you don’t really know what it’s thinking. Cats can’t speak! So, how CAN we communicate with our feline friends? Tasmin Humphrey at the University of Sussex says: it’s
Continue readingSmell Dispels
Ah! The sweet smell of broccoli! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying – NOT! Broccoli stinks! Unless you’re a MIDGE! Midges are tiny flies whose larvae survive on plants like broccoli and cauliflower. How can we keep them off our veggies?! Chase Stratton from
Continue readingMolar Bears
Mama bears know: raising kids is like pulling teeth! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. So, what really stands between a bear and your picnic basket? Wildlife management! Japanese ecologists need to manage Asian black bears, and that involves tallying up newborn cubs. How does
Continue readingBrain Unplugged
Is your brain’s battery wearing down? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some folks with Parkinson’s disease get treatment by ZAPPING THEIR BRAINS! Seriously — a surgeon plants a battery-powered wire in their brain that continuously emits electrical pulses. Problem is, batteries wear out –
Continue readingFooled Filters
I’m a blood cell… April Fools! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Your body has its own Secret Service — the IMMUNE SYSTEM. It’s built to keep good stuff in and bad stuff out. But sometimes security is TOO TIGHT. Even MEDICINE can get filtered
Continue reading