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
Continue readingCategory: Episodes
Plant Magicians
If you want to survive – hide in plain sight! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the mountains of southwest China grows a lucrative treasure called Fritillaria. This flower is commonly used in traditional medicine and comes in THREE colors – gray, brown, and
Continue readingBig Brains
Big brain…tiny list of Facebook friends? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We, humans, are VERY smart mammals – if we do say so ourselves! Some say it’s because we have such big brains. But at what cost to society? Manuela González-Suárez at the University
Continue readingVirtual Exca-Vacation
Are we there yet? All I see are a bunch of broken walls! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…these days, the wonders of antiquity…aren’t all that wonderful. What if we could ACTUALLY peek into the past? Enter Vicenzo Barrille from the University Mediterranea of
Continue readingSpace Spiders
Oh what a tangled web we weave…in space?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many spider webs found in nature are asymmetrical: their top part is smaller than the bottom. Could GRAVITY play a role in this off-center web weaving? Samuel Zschokke from the University
Continue readingCoffee or Nap?
Foggy brain? How do YOU recharge your batteries — nap or coffee? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Chug down a grande frappuccino after lunch and whoa, you are rip-roaring and ready to go! But does coffee ACTUALLY help? Sara Mednick and colleagues at the
Continue readingBrushing Basics
Brush every day – keep the dentist away! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Time to replace that old toothbrush! But there are so many types – WHICH one is best? Muhammad Kashif from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan, wanted to know. He and
Continue readingRivers of Colors
We’d be lost without maps! Streets — highways – wait, what’s that squiggly blue line? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying — It’s got to be a river, right? But are rivers REALLY blue? John Gardner at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and
Continue readingPerilous Peanuts
Is the cure for peanut allergies … MORE peanuts? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We all know the rules: don’t bring peanuts to the potluck! Allergic reactions are no joke: we’re talking hives, swelling, trouble BREATHING. Can we prevent this nutty nastiness? Lianne Soller
Continue readingEight Punches
Why did the octopus punch the fish? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Remember those school yard bullies from grade school? They’d just push people over and start punching! But imagine if these kids had EIGHT FISTS! Eduardo Sampaio from University of Lisbon, Portugal, and
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