Say what, Batman? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Are those bats talking about ME? Bats can both squeak and hear at frequencies so high, you’d need SUPER-hearing to detect it! Or at least – BAT-hearing? Enter Ville Pulkki and colleagues at Aalto University in
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Batty Knowledge
Ugh, this physics test is driving me BATTY! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We humans aren’t born knowing physics! But what gives with a bat? Bats emit ultrasounds which tell them where objects are by how fast the sound waves return. So . .
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Down with a cold? Don’t worry, stay batty! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Feeling under the weather? Nothing beats curling up in bed! Hanging out with friends can wait — we don’t want them getting sick too! But what do OTHER social animals do
Continue readingBabblin’ Baby Bats
Who’s my widdle-bitty-batty baby? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…BAT got your tongue? You’ve heard it! A change in pitch and EXAGGERATED expression – it’s baby talk. For humans, baby talk is important for speech development. BUT what if you’re a BAT? Meet Ahana
Continue readingAging Bat-ifully
Hey, influencers – have you heard about BEAUTY TIPS from BATS? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For most mammals, the smaller they are, the shorter their lifespan. But not bats! If humans played by bat rules, we’d live past a hundred and fifty! What
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Holy biodiversity, Batman! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ninety percent of plants and animals in Madagascar are found nowhere else! Sadly, insect outbreaks threaten this amazing biodiversity. When they chomp down local crops, farmers are forced to compensate for the loss with field expansion!
Continue readingA Moth’s Tale
Na na na na na na na na… Mothman? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Evolution is a war. An arms race that’s lasted millions of years. Like the war between moths…and BATS! Bats use echolocation — high-pitched sounds — to see and hunt, like
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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
Continue readingPollination Revelation
Is your margarita. . . endangered? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Insects like bees and butterflies are known for their pollinating prowess. When they feed on the sweet nectar from flowers, pollen rubs off on their legs. This pollen transfers to other flowers so
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What’s Batman’s REAL super-power? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Viruses take energy and nutrients from their hosts. BUT it also takes energy to FIGHT viruses! In us humans, eventually, either the host or the virus dies. But, BATS can carry viruses for YEARS. How?
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