Bird Brains

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a…rocket scientist? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Conceptual thought has led to great achievements. Think Einstein’s theory of relativity or Shakespeare’s plays. Animals like dogs and monkeys can also think conceptually.

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Three Mom Mice

Is it the end of men? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Men. Who needs ‘em! Not some female sharks, spiders, and komodo dragons. They can create babies on their own. Mammals are different. For us, certain genes important for embryonic development are turned OFF

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Tasty Invention

Keep your hands out of your food! Unless they’re. . . robot hands? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Taste is the sensation triggered by our taste buds when they recognize flavor molecules. Chocolate – yum! Kale – not so much. But what if science

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Quantum Buzz

Hate crowds? Need your “personal space?” Negatively charged electrons do too! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. To understand electrons, scientists have developed a special technique called density functional theory – D-F-T for short. D-F-T is used to predict how electron crowds move in an

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Stimulating Scents

Gee, your hair smells terrific! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we smell, odor molecules dock into special proteins that alert our brain. Mmmm…bacon! Biologists call these proteins olfactory receptors, or O-Rs, and they do more than just smell! All kinds of cells use

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Finicky Felines

Dogs have masters, but CATS have…staff? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Cats are notoriously picky eaters. What makes our feline friends so finicky? Adrian Hewson-Hughes at England’s Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition decided to find out. Scientists presented cats with three food options. The

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Sweet Deal

Getting a twenty-one isn’t just a win at blackjack! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the endless pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, research is turning to our genetics. Specifically, the work of Tim Frayling and researchers at the University of Exeter. They’re leading an

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Open Wide!

Behold – the Dagwood sandwich! Thirty layers of perfectly crafted deliciousness! Open wide! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying wouldn’t it be nice to bite into a Dagwood sandwich and nab every single one of those ingredients? Unfortunately most of us don’t have mouths

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Ricequakes

Snap, crackle… collapse? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ice shelves in Antarctica are always on the move-forming sinkholes, collapsing, sliding into the sea. But it’s hard to study them in nature — these changes happen so slowly! To learn more about these impactful events

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Mighty Methane Munchers

It’s jolly! Its green! But its …not a giant? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The ocean is teeming with diverse life, especially at hot vents on the ocean floor! For example, Archaea — single celled organisms, not to be confused with bacteria. Tiny, one-celled

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