On Christmas Day we ask: church air is pure—literally? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Chemists at Australia’s Queensland University of Technology made a miraculous discovery. Stained glass church windows literally clear the air when lit by sunlight. Lead researcher Huai Yon Zhu believes medieval glaziers
Continue readingTag: pollution
Relaxing Drives
Windblown hair? Don’t care! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Who doesn’t love a drive with the windows down! Gets you fresh air… or does it? Enter Michael T. Young and the University of Washington. They had sixteen participants drive three different days through Seattle
Continue readingSeaworthy Straws
Feeling di-STRAW-t over ocean pollution? Listen up. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plastic straws degrade slowly in landfills and the ocean, far outliving their single use. Biodegradable straws have become more popular. But are they really ocean-friendly? Bryan James and team from Woods Hole
Continue readingDriving the Distance
Time to put your Tesla to the test! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Do more electric cars on the road mean less pollution? FIRST, we need to know how much they’re driven! Enter Lujin Zhao and team from George Washington University. Researchers analyzed over
Continue readingPlastic, Heal Thyself!
Family potluck, plate of fixin’s. . . Another plastic fork bites the dust! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plastic items break every day, from phone cases to prosthetics. If only they could fix themselves! Traditional plastic is like a long chain of repeating molecular
Continue readingWindy Warming
Windmills taking the wind out of your sails? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. More and more cities around the world are committing to renewable energy. Coal plants produce carbon dioxide which can lead to global warming. But other options aren’t perfect either! Meet Lee
Continue readingRobot Patrol
“Life is plastic, it’s fantastic!” — NOT!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. From the Alps to the deepest ocean, plastics are everywhere! Microplastics are pieces smaller than a pencil eraser. They take decades to break down naturally. Can robots help? Enter Seyyed Mohsen Beladi-Mousavi
Continue readingClouded Checkmate
Is a good chess move all in the … lungs?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Air pollution is hard on our bodies, particularly our lungs and heart. But can indoor air quality also CLOUD our thinking? Steffen Künn and an international team of researchers
Continue readingFoggy Thinking
Feeling a little fuzzy today? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Asbestos in the walls! Aerosol particles in the air! Pollution is EVERYWHERE! Studies have shown that continual exposure to OUTDOOR air pollution can cause loss of brain function. Horrors! Should we play it safe
Continue readingRobot Patrol
“Life is plastic, it’s fantastic!” — NOT!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. From the Alps to the deepest ocean, plastics are everywhere! Microplastics are pieces smaller than a pencil eraser. They take decades to break down naturally. Can robots help? Enter Seyyed Mohsen Beladi-Mousavi
Continue reading