Hey – isn’t it YOUR turn to take out the trash? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… more trash, more flies! And they can host a fungus called Entomophthora Muscae. Which has a sweet trick for turning its hosts into stealth killers! HOW? Andreas
Continue readingCategory: Episodes
Counting Your Hens
Don’t count your HENS before they’re hatched! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In 2015, the gender-neutral pronoun “hen” was added to the official Swedish dictionary. In Swedish that could mean any person, regardless of gender! The word has been in widespread use there since
Continue readingWeb Designers
Welcome to the world-wide SPIDER web! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Spiders – love ‘em or hate ’em, we can all appreciate their intricate web designs. Ever notice that webs have similar patterns? It’s as if they were created by the SAME master architect!
Continue readingHiss and Make Up
Lookout – snake on the make! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s summer Down Under! The water’s fine, but there’s something swimming towards you… Should you be worried? Enter Tim Lynch of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and colleagues. They wondered why
Continue readingPrimate Popstars
They gather at dawn, lifting their voices high in sweet rhythms. Oh, and they’re lemurs! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You might be jamming to some tunes in your car right now! Do any of our animal friends do the same? Ask Andrea Ravignani
Continue readingVery Hungry Caterpillars
Munch munch munch… Someday I will be a beautiful butterfly! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars spend their days busily feasting, turning carbon-rich leaves into nitrogen-rich poo. This means less falling leaves and more caterpillar poop washing into nearby lakes. This can change the
Continue readingA Tale of Two…TAILS?
Regeneration – it’s a TAIL as old as time! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Lucky lizards! If they lose a tail, they just grow another one! But these replacement tails aren’t as good as new — they’re actually SPINELESS! Could we help lizards regrow
Continue readingCommunication Breakdown
Is fat LITERAL food for thought? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our brain is filled with billions of neurons that are constantly talking to each other. What helps speed up these conversations? Fatty layers of cholesterol called myelin. But diseases like Multiple Sclerosis cause
Continue readingRainbows and Unicorns
Is it a horse … or a fashion statement?? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science. Black, white, brown or pinto…our noble steeds proudly sport many different colors. But, their wild ancestors all tended to be some shade of brown! How did the color explosion come
Continue readingAlphabet Soup-er
Learning your A-B-Cs? Piece of cake! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying — You just have to remember the song! But what if the language you’re learning doesn’t have A-B-Cs? What’s the best way to learn a foreign alphabet – reading, typing or writing?
Continue reading