APP Yourself!

Personalized plates! Personalized toys! Personalized … personality?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Want to be more sociable, conscientious, considerate? You’re in luck – there’s an app for that!  That’s right – Mirjam Stieger from Brandeis University and team have developed a personalized personality APP.

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Bee-Building Blocks

Bob the Builder – meet Bee the Builder! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Picture a beautiful honeycomb made of hexagonal cells. Honeybees build cells in two sizes. Small for worker bees and large for male reproductive bees. How do they make the most of

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Space Race

Traveling to Mars? Don’t forget the sunblock! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying – Pop on those shades! Both the sun AND our galaxy put out some deadly stuff. Too much basking in cosmic rays can lead to cancer and even deadly radiation poisoning.

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Take a Break

Lookin’ for treats in all the wrong places? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying – maybe your brain needs a break! When we study, brain cells called neurons form new knowledge connections — a roadway between facts! When we recall the material? BRAINBLAST! Our

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Otterly Cozy

Which marine mammal is not like the OTTERS? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Swimming in the Pacific can be…CHILLY! Larger ocean mammals like walruses and whales have a secret weapon–blubber! But how does a small otter stay cozy while frolicking adorably in the sea? 

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Nap or Play?

Playtime – seventeen minutes! Naptime – thirty minutes! Are we on schedule? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Kids need sleep AND sports. But how much of each should go into a healthy recipe? Emily Ng from University of South Australia and colleagues set out

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Ad-itude

That purse speaks to you. Those shoes are calling your name! How does Instagram know the EXACT way to your wallet?? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Marketing departments throw ads at us with pinpoint accuracy. But can we sniff out WHICH ads are targeted

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Scratch That

Look out, Itchy and Scratchy – we’ve got your number! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scratching, rubbing, wiggling … being itchy is not fun! It can even be a symptom of serious medical conditions like eczema. You KNOW how itchy you are, but how

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Planetary Diet

Look out – it’s the attack of the planet-eating suns!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When two stars form at the same time, they should be chemically identical … like twins! But some pairs are more like distant cousins. And as it turns out

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Robot Patrol

“Life is plastic, it’s fantastic!” — NOT!!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. From the Alps to the deepest ocean, plastics are everywhere! Microplastics are pieces smaller than a pencil eraser. They take decades to break down naturally. Can robots help? Enter Seyyed Mohsen Beladi-Mousavi

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