Bird Brainiacs

You’re SOOO bird-brained! But is that a bad thing? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The BRAIN uses the most energy of mammal organs. And neurons, the brain-body messengers, use LOTS of sugar to communicate. Birds have much SMALLER brains than most mammals, but can

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Aging Brains

I’ve fallen — and my BRAIN can’t get up! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s no secret that aging can cause mental decline. But sometimes our bodies feel older than our brains, and vice versa! What gives?! Manu Goyal and colleagues at Washington University

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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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Caffeine Fix

Hey! Before you reload that Starbucks card–is there such a thing as TOO MUCH coffee? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Coffee is often, and controversially, associated with good health. But some people have trouble metabolizing caffeine. Could a coffee habit spell danger for them?

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A Dog’s Life

The dog! Man’s best friend …AND best diet buddy?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think your dog resembles you? Maybe it’s the curly fur, the glaring distrust of the FedEx guy — or is it your… metabolism? Peer Bork’s team at the European Molecular

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Low-Emission Camels

Do you know your animal farts? Pop quiz. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Who makes more flatus than your lovable but aging dog? Ruminating animals, like cows and sheep, that’s who. They chew their cuds at one end, and release methane gas from the

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Whale of a Tale

Too big…? too small… ? This BODY size is just right! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mammals that live in the ocean are some of the largest animals in the world. Think whales and walruses. These mammals’ ancestors used to live on land. When

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Calories Count

Can you eat yourself to death? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A stick of butter can make ANYTHING taste good. But oops… Calories galore! They can add to our waistline. But could excess calories also speed up our metabolism, or even how fast we

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Monkeys vs. Humans

Are humans really at the top of the food chain? This is Sandra Tsing Loh, with the Loh Down on Science. Compared to our great ape cousins, we humans are way ahead in the evolutionary race. We’ve got bigger brains. We also reproduce faster than expected for our body size.

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