Night and Day

Luminescent bacteria in the dark

What winds YOUR internal clock? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Roosters crow at dawn. Toddlers wake up at 4 am every day. Plants know when to turn light into energy. But… What about BACTERIA? Zheng Eelderink-Chen at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and

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Sound Bites

White Spotted Ray

CRUNCH! Who’s eating all the popcorn shrimp? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Sea critters have NO patience for shucking shellfish! Many predators munch straight through the hard shells. And like kids sneaking chips in class, wild shell chompers leave no evidence behind! So –

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Dream and Learn

Green maze seen from above

Whoa, I’m flying! Or…is it just a dream? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Dreams can be so bizarre and fun. One minute you’re back in kindergarten, the next you’re floating in outer space! But WHY do we dream? Enter Erin Wamsley and colleagues from

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Killer Kitty

Cat with a mouse as a prey next to it

Kitty’s bringing home dead birds AGAIN? Is she hungry, or just having fun? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Tail twitching, butt wiggling – and POUNCE! Outdoor cats think they’re providing for us, but their hunting can hurt native animal populations. How can owners help

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Gut and Paste

Woman stressed out with hands in her head

Stressed? You have GUT to relax! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Money! Politics! Global warming! Stress is abundant in our everyday lives. Recent studies show that certain foods affect our microbiomes — that is, our gut bacteria. Foods like red meat, artificial sweeteners, and

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Nothing But Tooth

Tooth from three different views (from the referenced paper)

Do you swear to pull the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A century ago, thirteen teeth were found on the European island of Jersey inside Saint Brelade cave. Scientists assumed the teeth belonged to Neanderthals.

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Fungus Versus the Volcano

Conidia of the fungus Alternaria

Do FUNGI put the FUN in … cleaning? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… and a VOLCANIC scientific discovery! Volcanic eruptions create a chemical called Selenium. And industry has since increased Selenium in water to toxic levels. Can we get help to clean it? Mary

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Teen Bops

The Bee Gee’s? OMG! That really takes me back! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Which tunes are in YOUR personal Top Ten? Whether we heard it on an 8-track, CD player, or I-phone, music is EVERYTHING in our teens! But WHY does the music

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Egg-stra Large Eggs

Dinosaur seating on the top of its eggs

Baby dinosaur or…Jurassic omelette? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most birds incubate their eggs by sitting on them.  But how did big, heavy dinosaurs warm their eggs without smashing them? This question captured the attention of Kohei Tanaka. He studies Oviraptorosaur fossils. Parent Oviraptorosaurs

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Fooled Filters

Blood cells in a vessel

I’m a blood cell… April Fools! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Your body has its own Secret Service — the IMMUNE SYSTEM. It’s built to keep good stuff in and bad stuff out. But sometimes security is TOO TIGHT. Even MEDICINE can get filtered

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