environment – Page 4 – The Loh Down On Science

Smog Breath

October 11, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Does this smog make me look fat? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and a weight-gain study we hope doesn’t make you hyperventilate! Who’s asking it? Environmental health scientists at Ohio State University. They wanted to examine how exposure to air pollution early in life

Coral Conundrum

October 1, 2018 Kellen Kartub

An up close image of coral underwater. The coral in the foreground is bleached white while the coral in the background is brown. Small fish swim in the background.

Could fun in the sun – mean grief in the reef? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The sun’s ultraviolet rays cause suntans, sunburns… and an increased risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen protects our skin by using chemicals like oxybenzone to absorb harmful U-V rays.

Rice Cooker

September 10, 2018 Krista Fruehauf

Rice is delicious! But no longer nutritious? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Climate change can really bring the heat! But, ocean levels aren’t the only thing on the rise. Carbon dioxide levels are also increasing. How does this change in the atmosphere affect our

Panda-nomics

September 3, 2018 Ted Yoo

Pandas! Black, white…and loaded with green? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. As of 2016, giant pandas are no longer an endangered species! Conservation efforts are clearly paying off. But maintaining panda sanctuaries costs China two to three hundred million dollars a year. Is it

Relephant Factors

August 9, 2018 Krista Fruehauf

What makes an elephant pack its trunk. . . and leave? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Elephant societies are matriarchal. Mothers and grandmothers lead the way. Sadly, older females are often targeted for their tusks. This leaves their family orphaned! So what happens when

Garbage Gobblers

July 19, 2018 Victoria Lim

What do cockroaches and plastics have in common? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying…they both can last for THOUSANDS of years! Its estimated that there are more than five TRILLION plastic bits floating in our oceans. That’s more than the number of stars found

Methane Roundup

July 18, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Scientists are fighting climate change, one burp at a time! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The target? Methane. This gas is much more effective than others at trapping heat in the atmosphere. One source of methane is cows. Cow’s stomachs contain microorganisms that ferment

Gassy Rocks

June 20, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Could the solution to global warming be a stone’s throw away? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Since the Industrial Revolution, burning fossil fuels has increased carbon dioxide emissions substantially. C-O-two traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to the “greenhouse effect”. For years, scientists have

Pollination Revelation

June 13, 2018 Margaret Lugin

Is your margarita. . . endangered? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Insects like bees and butterflies are known for their pollinating prowess. When they feed on the sweet nectar from flowers, pollen rubs off on their legs. This pollen transfers to other flowers so

No More Wheezing

April 26, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Hey, tired new parents! Got an infant who wheezes her way through the night? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Get a dog! Saying, at least that’s according to a study by the University of Cincinnati’s Paloma Campo. Campo tested air quality in the