Plantlife in Death

Death Valley might need a name change! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. High temperatures can be deadly for plants. But can nature beat the heat? Enter Seung Yon Rhee and team from Michigan State University. They went shrub watching in California’s Death Valley. There,

Continue reading

Satellite Referee

Cutting carbon is a global hot potato! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Reports of national carbon emissions often contradict each other. So who’s right? Time for a sky-high referee! Enter Doyeon Ahn and team at Morgan State University. They used satellites to scan carbon

Continue reading

Electric Eukaryotes

Could bacteria be… a bright spot? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ecosystems need the sun for power, and so do we. So what do we do when night falls? Lights out, Shunling Li and team from Kunming University of Science and Technology. They discovered

Continue reading

Cosmic Meet-Cute

Is true love written in the stars? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ask Pluto and its dearest lover – er largest moon – Charon. They’re what the kids call a binary system. That means they orbit EACH OTHER. How? Adeene Denton from the University

Continue reading

Tiny, but Mighty!

Got a clog? Here comes a microscopic cleaning crew! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Surgical implants for urinary problems can build up gunk over time. That buildup causes painful blockages and dangerous infections. The current fix? Replace the implant. OUCH! Not only is it

Continue reading

Fungus Among Us

Who’s pulling the strings behind… Zombie Ants! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some carpenter ants get infected by a fungus called Ophiocordyceps that hijacks their behavior. The ants climb leaves, and lock into a creepy “death grip.” Then the fungus sprouts and releases spores.

Continue reading

Paging Dr. Mouse

Could a mouse save your life? Maybe so. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wenjian Sun and team at the University of Southern California tested just that. They wanted to know how animals react when one of their own suddenly loses consciousness. In the lab,

Continue reading

Hard and Soft Prints

This gives a new meaning to a KNEESLAPPER! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We can 3-D print hard and rigid prosthetics, and soft shoes and springs. But what about 3-D printing both materials into one object? No way? Yes way. Enter Ji-Won Kim and

Continue reading

Dark Stars

Can dark matter shine bright? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Dark matter is an invisible substance all around us, with gravitational pull. We don’t know what it’s made of, or where it came from… but ancient stars might illuminate the picture. It’s theorized that

Continue reading

Bowhead Paradox

Is the cure for cancer in… WHALES?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Big animals need TONS of cell divisions to grow. That means more chances for DNA oopsies – AKA CANCER. But bowhead whales – despite their size – AREN’T more prone to cancer!!

Continue reading