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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Aging Bat-ifully

Hey, influencers – have you heard about BEAUTY TIPS from BATS? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For most mammals, the smaller they are, the shorter their lifespan. But not bats! If humans played by bat rules, we’d live past a hundred and fifty! What

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Frozen Fish Sticks

By: Racine Rangel Jump on in – the subzero Arctic water is fine! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science and a chilling case. What’s it like to live in the coldest location on the planet? Polar ice caps, bitter snow storms, and below freezing temperatures.

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Taste Test

Coffee – it’s an acquired taste! Or is it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some of us LOVE the bitter taste of coffee – others prefer sweet colas! Why is that? Marilyn Cornelis of Northwestern University wondered if the answer is in our D-N-A.

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Tangled Tresses

You think you’re having a bad hair day? Ach du lieber! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The Germans call it Struwwelpeter or “Shockhead Peter.” It affects people with dry, frizzy blonde hair. Those who have it comb and brush, spray and spritz, but nothing

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Super-Sized DNA

How do YOU spell “alien D-N-A?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You probably know about DNA. It’s the genetic recipe book for all of life – at least, here on Earth! And it uses just four simple ingredients: the bases guanine, cytosine, adenine and

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