“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!
Continue readingSickly 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
Continue readingWorking 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
Continue readingEye-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
Continue readingRainforest 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
Continue readingBoozy 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
Continue readingSpicy Snackin’ Shrews
Do our furry friends LOVE to spice it up? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying, YOU PEPPER BELIEVE IT! Some of us humans love spicy food! Others don’t. But what’s the story with. . . MAMMALS? Bowen Li from the Kunming Institute of Zoology
Continue readingSmart 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
Continue readingOperation 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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