Yeast Corps

“HEY immune system! Bring it on!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Your immune system is an army that protects you from disease. But in the heat of battle – these soldiers can get confused!  With inflammatory bowel disease, intestines make TOO much of a

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Caterpillar Defense

Was the Very Hungry Caterpillar also very TOXIC? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars may look cute — but some have prickly protection! Take the painted cup moth caterpillar. It’s scientific name, Doratifera vulnerans, means “bearer of painful gifts” — and for good reason!

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Sickly Sweet

Are sugar-free alternatives a SWEET idea for your gut? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think of your stomach as a mine. Deep down, the miners — your gut bacteria — work to break down food into nutrients you can use. Things go smoothly when

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Working like a Dog

Is the phrase “working like a dog” scientifically accurate?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For ages, humans have bred mutts to hunt, herd and retrieve. Dogs SEEM to enjoy it – but are we actually stressing them out?  Enter Amanda Höglin and team from Linköping

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Eye-Catching Biases

Even the prettiest flowers have to compete for attention!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Dahlias, daisies, sunflowers – as a florist, you want to build the most beautiful bouquets! But what if you’re a scientist? Martino Adamo and a team from the University of

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Rainforest Resilience

Have you heard? 1,000 is the new 30!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Like giant sponges, rainforests absorb carbon dioxide from the air. This benefits the whole planet! But weather conditions, such as droughts, can reduce this carbon uptake.  In twenty-fifteen, a climate disruption

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Boozy Social Hour

Hey hey, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… Skol! Prost! L’chaim! Raising a glass together can turn strangers into friends! But can it make us TOO friendly?  Enter Laura Gurrieri from University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and colleagues. They wondered

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Smart Swimmers

Are smarter people more so-fish-ticated? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Fish may be colorful, but they aren’t very bright! Can they smarten up? Giulia Rossi and Patricia Wright from the University of Guelph in Canada think so! They study the mangrove killifish, a fish

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Operation Tiny

Cancer cell destruction sequence initiated. Pew pew!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Needles sting; pills can be hard to swallow! Ever imagine a future in which tiny robots deliver medicine inside our bodies? Well that future starts NOW! Inspired by hinges and pistons, scientists

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