survival – Page 6 – The Loh Down On Science

Monkey Money

March 2, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Who’s more sensible? Humans? Or Monkeys? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet Yale psychologist Laurie Santos. She researches human buying habits by having monkeys barter for treats. She says Capuchin monkeys understand economics. She gives them tokens—monkey money! Her monkeys are trained to exchange

Let Them Eat Air

February 28, 2018 Rebecca Johnson

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

Scary Movie

February 27, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Uh oh: blood-curdling screams aren’t just figures of speech anymore! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and a terrifying new study from Leiden University Medical Center. Researchers there showed a group of healthy volunteers the twenty-ten horror film “Insidious.” After a week, the same group

High Rise Hazard

February 26, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Those pricey penthouses aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In most apartments, you pay more to be on a higher floor. But that might not be the only cost. So say researchers at Saint Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

Baby Babble

February 23, 2018 Jie Zheng

Hey moms, it’s time to lean into your… baby talk? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. All parents know, it’s important to vocally interact with your babies. Your baby loves your voice. So talk! Sing! Babble! But how can we be sure our little cooing

Critter Cleanup

February 22, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Shall we talk dirty . . . about animal hair? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet Guillermo Amador and David Hu, of Georgia Tech. They studied twenty-seven different mammals and insects to see how each maintains a suave appearance. First, the duo calculated the

Howling Mad

February 19, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Hey, guys: You can be large or you can be loud. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and a trade-off that makes monkeys howl. Howler monkeys, that is. They’re native to Central and South American forests. And they’re known for their loud calls, which carry

Sugar Buzz

February 8, 2018 Sarah Block

Oh hey, deadly superbug. You want some. . . candy? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’ve probably heard about SUPER BUGS. The bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics. But RESISTANCE isn’t the only problem. Some bacteria are drug TOLERANT. What’s the difference? Antibiotic RESISTANCE

Monkey Movies

February 6, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Do apes go bananas over scary movies? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Have you ever re-watched old movies and cringed, anticipating the scary parts? Psychologists from Japan’s Kyoto University wondered if apes also get the creeps. Apes are known for their long term memories.

Nervous Nellies

February 2, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Got a nervous habit? Maybe you’re a perfectionist! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Nail biting. Skin picking. Hair pulling. These are all examples of body-focused repetitive disorders—or BFRDs for short. Are they just nervous habits? Canadian researchers think not. They believe BFRDs are