You’re putting WHAT inside me?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Intestinal surgery can lead to life-threatening fluid leaks. Ultrasound is a tool that images our insides, but it has a hard time distinguishing fluids. For example, normal stomach fluids versus abnormal bleeding. Jiaqui Liu
Continue readingTag: bioengineering
Fungal Construction
Doesn’t Bob the Builder seem like a fun-gi? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wood, steel, concrete – SO last season! What’s the next ‘it’ construction material? Ross McBee from Columbia University and his teams bet on LIVING BRICKS! They started with brick-shaped molds full
Continue readingSuper Skin
Wearable tech… for your BIRTHDAY SUIT?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine losing your sense of touch. You can move and pick things up, put your clothes on… But… no feelings! Could we improve touch sensitivity? Enter Anna Coclite and team at Graz University
Continue readingChill Pill
Pain got you HOT HEADED? Take a chill pill! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Pain is no fun for anyone. We FEEL it because our nerves send pain signals from wounds to our brains. Mercifully, we can stop our nerves from sending those signals.
Continue readingFungal Construction
Doesn’t Bob the Builder seem like a fun-gi? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wood, steel, concrete – SO last season! What’s the next ‘it’ construction material? Ross McBee from Columbia University and his teams bet on LIVING BRICKS! They started with brick-shaped molds full
Continue readingSticky Feet
Starting a climb? Use your MUSSELS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We have robots that can build things, wait tables, even play the violin! But what about robots that can climb walls like Spiderman? Junwen Huang and a team from Xiamen University in China
Continue readingWhirligig Science
Are children’s toys making your head spin? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The centrifuge is an essential lab tool. It’s like a really powerful salad spinner. It can separate fluids into layers based on their density. Centrifuges are critical for diagnosing diseases like malaria.
Continue readingTell-tale Tattoo
Want a tattoo your parents would approve of? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For diabetics, tracking blood sugar is important – but annoying. Finger-pricking is painful. Patches that monitor blood sugar are expensive and can come unstuck. Is there a better way? Enter Ali
Continue readingPlantasia
Plants with bugs? And not the creepy crawly kind! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make their food through a process called photosynthesis. But the process is buggy! Plants can accidentally grab oxygen INSTEAD of carbon dioxide. And
Continue readingHopping to the Rescue
The Easter bunny is here… with a basket full of fresh air? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Urban homes often contain high levels of pollutants, known as volatile organic carcinogens. These VOC’s include formaldehyde, benzene, and chloroform. Yuck! Certain house plants are a good,
Continue reading