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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Your beverage of choice. Fizzy or flat? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We know that sugary sodas can pack on pounds. But we love our bubbly bevs! So we’re cutting back on soda, drinking more sparkling water, and staying hydrated! That’s a healthy lifestyle
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Counterfeit mushrooms? That’s nothing to sniff at. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Italian alba white truffles are a fungal delicacy. Connoisseurs love their distinct aroma and taste. So much so, that their going rate is about three thousand dollars per pound! Unfortunately, the aroma
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Lime, lemon, … Cinnamon. One of these things is not like the others! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Familiar aromas can bring back childhood memories — OR send a chill up your spine! But why do things get personal for the brain when it
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Was there life before Instagram? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A century ago, Instagram filters didn’t exist. But artists created beautiful, black and white photographic images with an other-worldly effect. This mysterious technique, known as mordançage, makes the black parts of the picture billow
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A physicist, a mathematician, and a chemist walk into a coffee shop…, This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Making your own morning coffee these days? Trying to make your Starbucks “usual” is tough! Behind every cup of Joe is some serious science. How does your
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What do trees, coastlines, and pineapples have in common? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Answer? They’re all FRACTALS, shapes that repeat as you zoom in. Their aesthetically-pleasing geometry inspires artists, writers, and even scientists! Sagar Khare’s team from Rutgers University felt drawn to fractals…
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Does your car need to go on a diet? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wish your gas-guzzler got more miles to the gallon? It would if it wasn’t so heavy! Steel accounts for more than FIFTY PERCENT of average car weight! Replacing steel with
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Happy hour for robots? Hey, it’s five o’clock somewhere! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Robots with artificial muscles that are flexible, durable, and responsive would be a dream! Unfortunately, robotic joints are too stiff and slow for human-like movement – yet! Shengqian Ma from
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Hugs, not drugs. Wait, I mean, bugs on drugs! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. If you get sick, your doctor might write you a prescription. But not everyone responds to medicines in the same way. Prescriptions can be guess-and-check – expensive, and possibly even
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