Eight Arms to Hold You

Octopus arms

Go, go, octopus arms! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When it comes to arms, octopuses have PLENTY! Their suction-cupped arms have terrified us in horror movies. But do we really know them? Lena Van Giesen and her team at Harvard University looked deeper. The

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Fitter Twitters

Two Sparrows at sunrise

The early bird… hits the high note? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s too early in the morning, but the birds are up and singing already! But why SO early?! Well, are you at YOUR peak idol performance first thing in the morning? Jason

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Grandma’s Hands

Sourdough bread

Do grandmas really have a “magic touch” for baking? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Aspen Reese from Harvard wanted to know: can grandma’s actual hands really make a difference? She and her team sent flour to eighteen bakers across North America and Europe. The

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DNA Autocorrect

Text message with an autocorrected word

  Autocorrect is great for our phones. But what about our DNA? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. DNA is made of building blocks called bases. These bases spell out the blueprints for our cells! Sometimes, mistakes are made, and the wrong base gets swapped

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Colorful Eggspression

Which came first – the white egg or the brown egg? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. There’s a reason we wear white after Memorial Day! Dressing in lighter colors helps keep us cool. Bird eggs do the same thing. Light-colored shells keep the embryo

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Stressed Out

Stressed out over grey hair?! Join the club! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Blonde, brunette, redhead — where do all those shades come from? As our hair grows, pigment-producing stem cells slowly turn into colored cells. BUT over time, we start to see some

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Fearless Gut

Should I follow my brain or my heart? How about my gut?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science. Our guts are filled with microbiomes made of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. These microorganisms have a HUGE impact on our health. Even small changes affect immunity and

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Salamander Limbs

Oh my aching joints! If only knees grew on trees! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When a salamander gets grabbed by the tail – off it comes. He just grows a new one! Amphibians that can grow back limbs have special proteins known as

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Hummingbird Hustle

Want to drive the chicks wild? Shake a tail feather! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Nature is filled with mating dances. Peacocks shake their tails, spiders shimmy, and flamingos Flamenco. They all boogie to their own beat, but is the timing of their two-step

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Counting Bee

Counting really IS the bees knees! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We count on bees to serve as nature’s top pollinator. Speaking of counting… How DO bees keep track of all those flowers? At Queen Mary University of London, Vera Vasas studies how bees

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