Call pest control – we’ve got a Capybara problem! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Termites and rats are bad enough! What if you woke up to find giant brown guinea pigs roaming around your lawn?! Capybaras, native to South America, are the largest rodents
Continue readingTag: environment
Green Light Plant Flight
It’s a bird, it’s a plane . . . it’s a – scientist in a helicopter!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Living beings, like plants, reflect light in unique spiral patterns into the environment. Non-living things — like buildings and bridges – not so
Continue readingRainforest Resilience
Have you heard? 1,000 is the new 30!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Like giant sponges, rainforests absorb carbon dioxide from the air. This benefits the whole planet! But weather conditions, such as droughts, can reduce this carbon uptake. In twenty-fifteen, a climate disruption
Continue readingDrought, Get Out!
Can we get some water over here? *HACK* This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. One-sixth of earth’s population lives in the desert. Beautiful, unspoiled. . . But dry! Our planet is covered in water, but most of it is saltwater. Turning saltwater into usable freshwater
Continue readingGlow Worms, Glow!
You’ve heard of earthworms? But what about… AIR WORMS?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ah, nothing like a breath of fresh air. Good air quality is essential for our health. But how do we know we’re breathing dirty air BEFORE it hurts us? Sari
Continue readingLeaf of Faith
Reducing carbon emissions? That’s gonna take a LEAF of faith! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever drive past a few stringy trees planted in the middle of the road, and wonder – “What’s the point?” Well… COULD urban greenery ACTUALLY make an impact on
Continue readingMicrodosing for Plants
Don’t mind me! I’m just microdosing my plants… with ALCOHOL!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Rice and wheat are staple foods that are at risk globally due to drought. So, scientists want to improve plant growth during water restriction. Could ethanol, a drinkable alcohol,
Continue readingElastic Plastic
Is it just me, or is it HOT in here? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ugh! The A-C’s gone out! Isn’t this place insulated? What? They should have used… PLASTIC?! Enter Quan Zhang and Yufeng Wang from Nankai University. They’re experts in polymers –
Continue readingMore Green Please!
Plant parents – this one’s for you! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. There’s something magical about hiking, gardening, and being around greenery. But say you’re not very… uh… active. Can you still get those bennies just by going outside? Enter Marcia Jimenez and colleagues
Continue readingDeep Dolphin Doo Doo
Love what you’ve done with the place… but it STANKS! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Home improvements like roof tarring are smelly but necessary. Wait until it’s too hot to do it, and your home will be vulnerable. Our marine friends are in much
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