Bacterial Addicts

Education helps keep kids off drugs. But what about BACTERIA? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When humans take drugs, our bodies don’t use the whole dose. The leftovers are just peed out. This might not seem like a big deal. But wastewater treatment facilities

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Let Them Eat Air

Can we make food out of thin air? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Soil is full of microbes. These tiny organisms eat and break down other organisms. They also recycle nutrients. But in desolate places on earth, or even in space, what is there

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Sugar Buzz

Oh hey, deadly superbug. You want some. . . candy? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’ve probably heard about SUPER BUGS. The bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics. But RESISTANCE isn’t the only problem. Some bacteria are drug TOLERANT. What’s the difference? Antibiotic RESISTANCE

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Communi-pee Pool

Pee in the pool? NOT cool! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Community pools – hallmarks of summertime fun for kids and grown-ups. And ingrained in our memories of these neighborhood oases is the pungent odor of chlorine. Could you be soaking in more than

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How Do You Spell Zika?

One, two, three! It’s easy as… A, G, C? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Who doesn’t love a spelling bee? Cute middle-schoolers lisping out words like Xanthosis and Logorrhea! But spelling is vital inside living organisms too! Why? See, cells need proteins to work

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Bacteria on the Rocks

Waiter, I’ll have water….ice? Not so much! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When a waiter brings us water with ice, we can assume the water is safe to drink. But what about the ice? Enter Raimondo Gaglio and colleagues from Universitá di Palermo in

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Worm Dinner

Worms have a taste for coffee cups? Who knew? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Styrofoam and other plastics can take over hundreds of years to degrade. Yeesh! Is there a way to make them go away faster? Stanford researchers may have a solution –

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Poo IQ

Want to know how smart your baby will be? Check her diaper! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science…and baby poop. Fun fact: your poop is loaded with bacteria. These bacteria come from your gut where trillions of them live. They help us digest food, protect

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Greasy Grimy Guts!

Ah, the vulture! It’s not just another pretty face. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Let’s face it. Vultures like their meat a little older and rottener than the rest of us do. It’s unorthodox, but it works for them. Still, it seems strange that

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Immunity Assault

Is pouring salt in someone’s wounds a good idea? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying yes! But wait. Scientists have long known that some of the salt we eat gets stored in our skin. But they’ve thought that was a byproduct of salt intake,

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