Spice for Life

Red hot peppers on orange background.

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

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Fresh Brains!

Images of zombies walking around.

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

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Sticky 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

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Hydrogen Sensor

Hydrogen logo on gas stations fuel dispenser. h2 combustion engine for emission free ecofriendly transport. 3d rendering — Stock Image & Photo

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

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Useful Leftovers

Wine in glass.

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.

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Only One Shot

In this 2006 image, a qualified healthcare practitioner was in the process of administering an intramuscular immunization to a woman, using the woman’s right shoulder muscle as the injection site.

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

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Dino Dexterity

Depiction of pterosaur with opposed thumbs in the forest.

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

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Red Planet, Blue Planet

Image of astronaut with red mountains behind him.

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

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Hitching A Ride

Assorted diatoms as seen through a microscope.

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

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Ocean 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

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