Could a jalapeno a day keep the doctor away? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. From Poblanos to Habañeros, hot peppers are the SPICE of life! But could they be a literal lifesaver? Sickle cell disease, which is inherited, causes misshapen red blood cells. This
Continue readingCategory: Episodes
Fresh Brains!
Besides zombies . . . who ELSE loves BRAINS?? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… Scientists! For research, they sometimes use brain tissue surgically removed to reduce seizures from epilepsy patients. Usually, the brain cells are tested more than twelve hours AFTER removal. But
Continue readingSticky Feet
Starting a climb? Use your MUSSELS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We have robots that can build things, wait tables, even play the violin! But what about robots that can climb walls like Spiderman? Junwen Huang and a team from Xiamen University in China
Continue readingHydrogen Sensor
Hydrogen power! It can take us up into outer space or down the freeway! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Potato chips, gummy worms, awesome playlist – ready for a road trip! Or . . . ALMOST ready! To get from L.A. to San Diego
Continue readingUseful Leftovers
Hmm, medium-bodied, oaky, with notes of straight-up…sugar?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wine tasting can be fun! However, not everything in the vat ends up in the bottle. Wine MAKING produces a lot of waste! California alone trashes two hundred thousands tons a year.
Continue readingOnly One Shot
Say it together: “One shot to rule them all!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. I got my flu shot LAST year — why do I need another one?? Because the flu virus resembles a spiky seed pod! Your immune system recognizes those spikes to
Continue readingDino Dexterity
Dinosaurs once ruled the Earth. But how did some get a GRIP on the skies and trees? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In northeastern China, paleontologists discovered a one-hundred-and-sixty million year old fossil. Trapped inside the rock was a flying pterosaur. With a uniquely
Continue readingRed Planet, Blue Planet
Mars is the RED planet … right? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Snaps from NASA’s Perseverance rover show a dry, dusty red landscape. But Mars used to be BLUE with water! Possibly as much as half the Atlantic Ocean. Where’d it go? Enter Eva
Continue readingHitching A Ride
Hey, world travelers…have you flown AVIAN AIR? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying . . . Booking flights – what a nightmare: Baggage fees! Aisle or window?! Zero legroom! But things are worse for microscopic diatoms! These single-celled algae produce around twenty percent of
Continue readingOcean Jazz
What’s a whale’s favorite music jam? Apparently: the bluuuuueees! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Forget Coachella – there’s a BIGGER music festival happening… deep in the north Atlantic ocean! The headliners? Breeding bowhead whales! All winter long, these whales flirt by singing songs to
Continue reading