zoology – The Loh Down On Science

Bear-ly Exercising

November 7, 2018 Samantha Leigh

Need a workout buddy? How about a….polar bear?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Studies show that ice in the Arctic is rapidly melting. Since polar bears call this ice home, how will its disappearance affect them? Anthony Pagano teamed up with zoos in San

Scaredy-Crows

October 31, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Animal grouping phrases: A parliament of owls! A murmuration of starlings! A murder of crows?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. University of Washington researchers Kaili Swift and John Marzluff observed, and wondered: Why do crows gather around their dead? To find out, first, the

Bird Peace

September 4, 2018 Priyam Patel

Birds of a feather flock together. Or do they? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bird fights happen, especially with nests nearby. At best, birds of different species ignore each other. But is that the only way to achieve avian world peace? Meet Allison Johnson

Mother’s Milk

May 11, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Does mom play favorites … with milk? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying:It seems like an odd question. But since the 1970s, scientists have been studying whether mother animals treat daughters and sons differently. And, at least in terms of lactation, the answer is

Universal Language

May 10, 2018 Ted Yoo

Don’t speak the language? Just keep smiling! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many gestures are universal. A warm smile is innately understood all around the world. A thumbs up, however? That’s learned and doesn’t translate across cultures. But where did all of these gestures

Scaling Wall Scaling

March 20, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Sorry Spider-man, but you’re no gecko! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Zoologists at the University of Cambridge wondered: Why can some animals with sticky feet scale walls while others can’t? They studied 225 climbing animals of various sizes. From mites and spiders to tree

Cuddle Buddies

March 19, 2018 Ted Yoo

Are hugs the new chicken soup? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think of your gut as a soup of friendly bacteria. Everybody’s recipe is custom made to work with our bodies properly. These good bacteria help digest food and fight disease. Scientists know that

Giraffe Gab

December 25, 2017 Loh Down Staff

I still don’t know what the fox says. Giraffes, though, are another story! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Cats meow. Dogs bark. A sound has never been ascribed to giraffes, though. Until now. Austrian researchers painstakingly recorded – and analyzed – almost one thousand