My spidey senses are… silky? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. By weight, spider silk is stronger than steel! However, perfectly reproducing this versatile material has proven difficult. How do spiders successfully spin silk? Lucas Parent at Northwestern University and David Onofrei at San Diego
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Mosquito Ears
Shhh!!! There’s blood suckers out here!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mosquitos!. By the time we hear them, it’s already too late – we’re lunch! But could THEY be the ones to hear US coming first? Meet Ron Hoy and Gil Menda, of Cornell
Continue readingBumblebeer
Bees can sting, but can they make you…tipsy? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Brewing beer is an age-old tradition, and it’s all thanks to YEAST. There are nearly two thousand kinds of yeast on Earth. But only two types are used to brew beer:
Continue readingMosquito Mating
Can mosquito species tell each other apart? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Well, not really. That’s why yellow fever mosquitoes will try to mate with Asian tiger mosquitoes, and vice versa. Enter University of Florida entomologists. They wondered about yellow fever mosquito populations
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Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a… SUPER…ANT? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. To bugs, trees spell one thing: FOOD! Caterpillars and grasshoppers are connoisseurs of the leafy species. But is there a bright side to trees having
Continue readingWorm 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 –
Continue readingSpider Reality Show
Spiders who love video games too much? Story at 11! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Jumping spiders are well-known for their good vision. But researchers have a hard time getting them to display natural behaviors in the lab. That’s why scientists at Australia’s Macquarie
Continue readingKiller Caterpillars
The Very Hungry Caterpillar…is STILL hungry! Watch out!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars love to snack on plants. Poor plants! Since they can’t move, they have few options for self-defense. But one clever plant might a few tricks up its sleeve! John Orrock
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