River Tales

Otrar landscape nowadays (ghost town)

What has a mouth but doesn’t speak? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Busy markets, plentiful farms, streets filled with Silk Road caravans… The oasis city of Otrar! A thousand years ago, Otrar was a part of the flourishing river civilization in Central Asia. It’s

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Dry Maya

DID the Mayans predict the end of their own civilization? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ancient Mayan glyphs predicted the end of the world in two thousand twelve. Well, we’re still here, but the Mayans aren’t! What happened? Some believe it was starvation caused

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Dog Bodybuilding

No more kibble, Fido! Look what you did to the rug! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s YOUR dinner time, but your dog keeps begging for treats! And he’s already a biiiiit round. Maybe it’s doggie diet time? But does dieting ACTUALLY help our

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Exhibit A

Museums! Theaters! And… homework?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Watch meteors at the planetarium, admire Water lilies at the Met, enjoy Shakespeare in the Park! Most kids would probably MUCH rather go on field trips than sit in a classroom! But does all that

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Sprinter Footwear

Too thick? Too thin? Or… JUST RIGHT??! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… what shoe do YOU do? Some runners prefer shoes with thick midsoles. They’re comfy and absorb shock. Others complain that cushioned shoes ruin their strides and make their legs sore! What’s

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Virtually Painless

Lost at Minecraft AGAIN? Painful! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, asking…but what if video games could bring pain RELIEF? Henry Xiang and team from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital tried this out on pediatric burn patients. They designed a virtual reality game requiring patients to

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School Spirit

You gotta dress to impress! Even in grade school! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. School uniforms – love ‘em or hate ‘em? Some educators believe wearing uniforms improves student behavior and strengthens school spirit. Others think dressing alike prevents students from expressing their true

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Laughter Detector

I’m a poet and I show it – my feet are Longfellows! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. No offense, Dad – but Dad jokes are THE WORST! Sometimes you can’t help but laugh. Or…you might share the laughter — just to be polite! Enter

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Gender Interest?

Say hello to…Rocket Science Barbie! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. These days, there are no gender limits when it comes to careers! Yet people STILL tend to think boys are more interested than girls in engineering. When does this stereotype get started? Enter Allison

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Alphabet Soup-er

Learning your A-B-Cs? Piece of cake!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying — You just have to remember the song! But what if the language you’re learning doesn’t have A-B-Cs? What’s the best way to learn a foreign alphabet – reading, typing or writing?

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