Talkin’ Batty

HELP! Turn on the bat-signal! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Like birds, bats have wings. But they’re actually mammals like humans! Like us, they’re social creatures and have to learn to talk to one another. How? Ahana Fernandez, from Leibniz Institute for Evolution and

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Fast Friends

First date – AMAZING! We talked non-stop for three hours!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’ve got a friend in me! Yes, Woody and Buzz are inseparable. But what’s the “secret sauce” makes two people click?  Emma Templeton and a team from Dartmouth College

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When Pigs Talk

Doctor Doolittle isn’t the only one who can speak Pig Latin! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Pigs are deeper than you think. They have complex emotions and ways of communicating. But can we humans ever TRULY understand them? Enter Elodie Briefer from the University

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Super-Script

How do YOU channel your inner Aaron Sorkin?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we’re gabbing with our besties, the words just tumble out like an episode of The West Wing. But from where? How DO our brains produce the quick back-and-forth of conversational

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Crabby Bellies

GRRR!!! Keep your distance! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… Is that MY stomach growling? Sorry, I’m just hungry! But for crabs, that sound could mean they’re HANGRY! Think hungry AND angry! Enter Jennifer Taylor from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and colleagues. They study

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Singing Seals

Arf! Arf! Is that seal trying to tell me something?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. That barking noise seals make is just the BEGINNING of their communication skills! Harbor seals can also imitate sounds, like parrots!  And Laura Borda and her team from Max

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Telepathic Computer

Hunt…peck…hunt…peck… This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. I’ve been typing for days – and I’m STILL only halfway through this article! My fingers are ready to fall off! But wait! What if we could type WITHOUT lifting a finger? Francis Willett and team at Stanford

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Hey Siri

Alexa, play “Baby Shark.” Alexa, PLAY “BABY SHARK”! ALEXA?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Kids can get pretty chatty with Alexa and Siri – even though they’re just “virtual assistants!” How does that affect the way they talk to REAL people?  Enter Alexis Hiniker

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Counting Your Hens

Don’t count your HENS before they’re hatched!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In 2015, the gender-neutral pronoun “hen” was added to the official Swedish dictionary. In Swedish that could mean any person, regardless of gender! The word has been in widespread use there since

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Netflix and Chat

Why is Cookie Monster blue? Discuss! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Does your kid watch too much TV? Researchers believe that excessive screen time can negatively impact a child’s development. But can we reduce its harmful effects? Enter Prachi Shah at University of Michigan

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