Calamari-velous Creatures

Who do you think would win a chess game? You or … an octopus?   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.   Humans and octopuses both possess exceptional intelligence when compared to other animals. But how similar are we really?   Researchers from the Stazione

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Forever Young

Forever young, forever young… Thanks Rod Stewart This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For millennia, we’ve searched for a fountain of youth. Has it finally been found?  Enter Zhen Zhou and team at UC San Diego They discovered that cells age in two ways. One:

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Ode to Genomics

BEETHOVEN’S WIG! IS VERY BIG!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and thanks to Richard Perlmutter. Ludwig van Beethoven is known for his classical music AND his hearing loss. Before he died, he requested his health issues be made public and investigated. What can modern

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Variety-Sized Pups

Clifford the SMALL Red Dog??? That can’t be right! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. “My dog’s bigger than your dog…” But wait – how can itty-bitty chihuahuas and HUMONGOUS Saint Bernards BOTH be dogs? Hint – it’s not the Ken-L-Ration!  Jocelyn Plassais from the

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Relephant Evolution

Elephants are sensitive creatures. But when bullied, these giants have THICK skin!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Tusks help elephants dig, gather food and defend themselves. But, since tusks are made of precious ivory, they’ve long been used as currency! Increased poaching in Mozambique

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Monkey Business

Plastic brain model

Watching monkeys at the zoo – so cute! Until they start throwing their poop …! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying… Humans and monkeys are similar – minus the poo-pitching. Mostly. We’ve got two arms, two legs, and developed brains. However, our human brains

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Let Them Eat Air

Cell converting some molecules into others

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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DNA Autocorrect

Text message with an autocorrected word

  Autocorrect is great for our phones. But what about our DNA? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. DNA is made of building blocks called bases. These bases spell out the blueprints for our cells! Sometimes, mistakes are made, and the wrong base gets swapped

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Ghost Gene

  Ghosting – it’s not just for dating anymore! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most mammals live on dry land. But not manatees!  Long ago, the ancestors of elephants jumped in for a swim and adapted to ocean life. Boom – manatees, AKA sea

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Health and Wealth

What’s more significant – your zip code or your GENE codes? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our genetic material is inherited from our parents. Their D-N-A influences everything we are, from our personalities to our looks. But can our environment ALTER this biological instruction

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