Henna is gorgeous… but NOT for your kidneys!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Henna is a natural dye, used globally for body art. Some practitioners add a chemical to create a dark striking black henna. Unfortunately, it has known health risks, but how bad?
Continue reading
Venice, Italy? More like Atlantis two-point-oh! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. As sea levels rise, Venice sinks. Its rich culture and history could be completely submerged within two-hundred years! But not with Piero Lionello and team from the University of Salento on the scene. They
Continue reading
Peanut allergies drive me NUTS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Severe peanut allergies can trigger anaphylaxis, a fast, life-threatening reaction. Luckily, the Epipen can calm reactions. But what if our bodies could fight these allergies… naturally? Enter Elisa Sanchez-Martinez and team from the Autonomous University
Continue reading
Oysters need cloisters! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’ve demolished MOST natural oyster reefs. To rebuild them, we usually just dump flat rocks underwater. Sure, rocks offer a place to attach, but without hiding spots, baby oysters are easy prey! What’s missing? Enter Melanie
Continue reading
Knock, knock! Who’s there? Mitochondria! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mitochondria produce energy for our cells. When they malfunction, it spells problems for our nerves and muscles. What can we do? Enter Temurkhan Ayupov and team at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology.
Continue reading
Think Wall Street… but underground! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scientists are discovering that microbes and plants may be running tiny nutrient markets beneath our feet. Listen closely. Gijsbert Werner and team from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam discovered that microbes and plants actually TRADE nutrients.
Continue reading
Let’s break wind – for science! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Intimate question: How many times do you fart a day? Santiago Botasini and team at the University of Maryland are sniffing out the facts. For a month, they had volunteers wear SMART underwear
Continue reading
Do sharks have friends? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Since sharks live DEEP under the ocean, we aren’t sure! Enter Natasha Marosi and team from the University of Exeter. They performed nearly five-HUNDRED dives in Fiji to observe about two-hundred bull sharks. They tracked social
Continue reading
Endangered… twinsies?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We only know a SMALL fraction of Earth’s species. This is partly due to cryptic species, organisms that look identical, but are genetically different! Are we overlooking vulnerable creatures, hiding in plain sight? Enter Takema Saitoh and
Continue reading
Who says pilates is just an excuse for brunch? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Stressed? Exercise. Sluggish? Exercise. Struggling to overcome drug withdrawal symptoms? Ex…er…cise…? For some, running and yoga have increased rehabilitation outcomes. Feng Ji and team from Soochow University questioned if PILATES
Continue reading