Would you be a good dead spider and grab that for me? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. How come when spiders die, their legs curl up all nasty? Ask Te Faye Yap and team from Rice University! They learned that spiders DON’T use muscles
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Is itchiness… CONTAGIOUS?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Zhou-Feng Chen and team from Washington University were ITCHING to find out. They showed mice a video of another mouse scratching. Then, the mice watching the video began to itch, too! The team monitored their neuron
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I LOVE back-to-back Zoom meetings! Said no one…EVER. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Melanie Brucks of Columbia University and Jonathan Levav at Stanford randomly paired up six hundred-plus people. Each pair worked together – either in person or virtually – to come up with
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Got a drawer full of old phone chargers? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying – who DOESN’T? Dead electronics live a LONG life. They’re useless – but we CAN’T just throw them away! When we FINALLY toss them, will they ever be re-used? Enter
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There’s a new energy source … hiding in the shadows! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A shady glade … ideal for cooling off! But when it comes to solar power, LESS sun means less energy! As skyscrapers climb and open sunshine becomes less available,
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Flexible as jelly! Stronger than shatter-proof glass! It’s SUPER … stuff?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Hydrogels are flexible building materials – and they’re super-useful! Think contact lenses, wound dressings, and even oral medication capsules! Their only drawback? Durability! Stretch a rubber band one
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Not all that glitters is “green!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What do birthday parties, cosmetics, and My Little Pony have in common? GLITTER! We can’t seem to get enough! However, our shimmery addiction contributes to the problem of microplastics and pollution in the
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Remember Rocky J. Squirrel? His parkour skills were NUTS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Running, climbing, swinging, vaulting – parkour athletes trick through challenging courses as quickly as possible. This skillset takes hundreds of hours of practice. But squirrels? They do these stunts instinctively!
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Snack time! Brownie or…cucumber? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our prehistoric ancestors hunted for high-calorie prey to survive. Fortunately, WE don’t have to hunt farther than the nearest cafeteria for our next meal. But do we still have the instincts to sniff out the
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It’s the Itchy and Scratchy Show! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Everyone’s sitting ‘round the campfire when someone gets bit by a MOSQUITO. First THEY’RE itchy… suddenly… EVERYBODY’s itchy! Is it a mosquito attack or something…else? Zhou-Feng Chen and team from Washington University were
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