Endangered Dopplegängers

Endangered… twinsies?!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We only know a SMALL fraction of Earth’s species. This is partly due to cryptic species, organisms that look identical, but are genetically different! Are we overlooking vulnerable creatures, hiding in plain sight? Enter Takema Saitoh and

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Pilates With A Purpose

Who says pilates is just an excuse for brunch? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Stressed? Exercise. Sluggish? Exercise. Struggling to overcome drug withdrawal symptoms? Ex…er…cise…? For some, running and yoga have increased rehabilitation outcomes. Feng Ji and team from Soochow University questioned if PILATES

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The Mighty Almond

Hmm… Do I detect notes of… WASTEWATER?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Picture a bustling winery after harvest… grapes crushed, wine flowing… and wastewater piling up! Every liter of wine produces FOUR liters of toxic wastewater. YUCK! And cleaning it up can be costly

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Manosphere Medicine

Is the cure for depression in the “manosphere?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some people will try anything EXCEPT mental health treatment. But it’s not necessarily their fault! Like those with treatment-resistant depression also known as TRD. Trevonn Gyles from the Icahn School of

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The Sound of Being Eaten

Who’s that crunch-crunching on my leaves??? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Can plants sense danger before insects cause serious damage?  Taylor Paret (TAY-ler puh-RET) and team at the University of Houston studied Arabidopsis thaliana (air-uh-DOP-sis thuh-lee-AY-nuh), a tiny mustard plant.  They played recordings of

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MINDING the Gap

Is there a signal for selflessness? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Brain scans might have the answer. Enter Jie Hu and team from the University of Zurich.  They gave a study group a moral quandary. Two parties were given unequal amounts of money, and

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Watered Down

Diet soda is just as healthy as water… right?  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We love soda, just not the sugar. Enter diet soda – a sugar-free option! But type two diabetes guidelines still recommend water. Does it actually matter? Andrew Odegaard and team

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Mosquitoes Biting Bats

Mr. Batz? The nurse will see you now.  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bats are major carriers for new viruses, like rabies and COVID-19. What if we could vaccinate bats, first?  Hongyue Li [HONG-yweh LEE] and team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have

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A Second Wind for T cells

Tired of being a T-cell? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Killer T-cells are immune cells that defend against tumors and viruses. But! One type of T-cell kills tumors, while another… becomes exhausted and just gives up. The problem? Telling them apart! H. Kay Chung

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Clouded Vision

What’s clouding our vision, even when skies are clear? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bad air quality, like smog and smoke, can reduce visibility and cause illnesses like asthma. Children are especially susceptible to harm from pollution. But is air pollution also damaging their

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