There’s nothing like seabirds to. . . take a dive! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s a beautiful sight: seabirds diving head first into the water to catch unsuspecting prey. A perfect ten! But the northern gannet (GA-nit) takes gold with its flawless, high-speed
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Who loves the sound of a baby crying? Apparently, everyone! This is Sandra Tsing Loh, with the Loh Down on Science, saying: It’s fundamental! Baby mammals emit distress calls for many reasons: hunger, separation, capture—and having the TV switched off during Sponge Bob. These calls share common acoustic traits among
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Puppies – why are they so darn CUTE?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Puppies can be a headache! They pee and poo on the carpet. Ugh! But there’s no doubt about how ADORABLE they are! Is there actually a scientific reason for the cuteness?!
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Oooh — where’s that wascally wabbit?? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Hey early risers – have you noticed more animals on your morning run versus your afternoon walk? Do all the bunnies leave for afternoon tea time? Unlikely! Kaitlyn Gaynor at U-C Berkeley wanted
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The dog! Man’s best friend …AND best diet buddy?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think your dog resembles you? Maybe it’s the curly fur, the glaring distrust of the FedEx guy — or is it your… metabolism? Peer Bork’s team at the European Molecular
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Animal grouping phrases: A parliament of owls! A murmuration of starlings! A murder of crows?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. University of Washington researchers Kaili Swift and John Marzluff observed, and wondered: Why do crows gather around their dead? To find out, first, the
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Overheard in the bat cave – conversation? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. That’s what Genevieve Wright at the University of Maryland wanted to know. In previous studies, Wright and colleagues found that brown bats seem to make six different types of social calls. Their
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Have you ever met a shark who’s a….vegetarian? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Okay, so maybe not a STRICT vegetarian. But there IS a shark who eats more seagrass than fish! It’s the bonnethead shark—a small relative of hammerheads. Samantha Leigh and her colleagues
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Do you know your animal farts? Pop quiz. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Who makes more flatus than your lovable but aging dog? Ruminating animals, like cows and sheep, that’s who. They chew their cuds at one end, and release methane gas from the
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Want to swim like Michael Phelps? Learn from a swordfish! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Swordfish are known for their iconic sword-shaped bills. But did you know they can swim sixty miles per hour?! That makes them the fastest swimmers on Earth! What’s their
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