January 10th: Happy Houseplant Appreciation Day! This is Sandra with the Loh Down on Science. You’ve heard: “Don’t water your plants at noon, because they’ll burn!” Botanists from Hungary’s Eotvos University wondered if sun rays and water droplets could actually fry plants. They combined computer models with experimental tests on
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Saving energy? We’re talkin’ Little Shop of Horrors! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Consider the carnivorous pitcher plant. It’s a trash bag shaped plant that eats bugs to overcome nutrient deficient soil. That gave Anne-Kristin Lenz and the University of Bristol an idea for
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I’m not drinking alone! I’ve got… my plant friends! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Yes, plants have Thirsty Thursday too, especially in droughts. So, scientists want to stabilize crop growth during water restriction. Could the answer be… alcohol? Raise your glass to Khurram Bashir
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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
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Do our plant babies have FEELINGS too? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying… Our sense of touch is a double edged sword. A pat on the head? Nice. A paper cut? Yowch. Either way, our skin sends a calcium nerve signal to
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Can you be-LEAF what your plants are saying? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. If only house plants could just TELL us when they need water! Or can they? Itzhak Khait from Tel-Aviv University and team investigated. Researchers put plants near microphones that pick up
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Does like cure like when it comes to… WILDFIRES? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Fire season is coming! One way to help avoid the destruction? Prescribed burns! This technique has been used to control wildfires for years. But it can cause the soil to
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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
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If you want to survive – hide in plain sight! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the mountains of southwest China grows a lucrative treasure called Fritillaria. This flower is commonly used in traditional medicine and comes in THREE colors – gray, brown, and
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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,
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