animals – Page 14 – The Loh Down On Science

Hungry Hummingbirds

March 25, 2019 Van Wifvat

Hummingbirds: Cute little nectar sippers, or battle-hardened killers? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Hummingbirds are darling! But it’s a bird-eat-bird world –sometimes they have to fight to survive! At University of California, Berkeley, Alejandro Rico-Guevara studies the evolution of hummingbirds. He wondered: What can

Bird Brains

March 15, 2019 Loh Down Staff

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a…rocket scientist? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Conceptual thought has led to great achievements. Think Einstein’s theory of relativity or Shakespeare’s plays. Animals like dogs and monkeys can also think conceptually.

Finicky Felines

March 8, 2019 Loh Down Staff

Dogs have masters, but CATS have…staff? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Cats are notoriously picky eaters. What makes our feline friends so finicky? Adrian Hewson-Hughes at England’s Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition decided to find out. Scientists presented cats with three food options. The

Open Wide!

March 6, 2019 Hurik Muradyan

Behold – the Dagwood sandwich! Thirty layers of perfectly crafted deliciousness! Open wide! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying wouldn’t it be nice to bite into a Dagwood sandwich and nab every single one of those ingredients? Unfortunately most of us don’t have mouths

Seeing Eye to Eye

February 28, 2019 Jessica Monterrosa Mena

Do animals REALLY see eye to eye? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most humans have the ability to detect color and perceive depth. But have you ever wondered how animals see the world? Eleanor Caves at Duke University studies how animals’ vision influences their

Smells Like Lemur Spirit

February 21, 2019 Rachel Rosenzweig

Scary! A creature that can smell your weakness! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we think of creatures that smell weakness, we imagine…vampires! Sci-fi villains! That TERRIFYING clown in IT??!! Well, science has added a new creature to that list: LEMURS?! Rachel Harris from

Puffa Fish

January 4, 2019 Loh Down Staff

Now, for some breathtaking research on puffer fish! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Puffer fish famously inflate into spiky spheres that are difficult for predators to eat. To do so, they swallow huge amounts of water. Their super-stretchy stomachs expand like water balloons. It’s

Cutest Study Ever

December 31, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Ah, nature! Trees, rivers… hamster wheels? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Running wheels aren’t just for pet hamsters. They’re lab tools—used, say, to study exercise in mice. But running literally in circles seems nutty. Indeed, many consider the behavior a neurotic byproduct of captivity.

Ticklish Rats

December 14, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Who enjoys a tickle—toddlers, babies, rats?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We often link laughter to joy, humor, and happiness – emotions typically felt by humans. But do animals also gleefully giggle during play? Scientists at Humboldt University in Berlin gave the question a

Hey Goat Buddy!

December 10, 2018 Ted Yoo

Man’s new best friend. . . the humble goat? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Humans and animals have a long history together. Goats, horses and other domesticated animals have helped develop society. Dogs have become our best friends! But do any of them think