Stand back, FOWL beast! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The island of Kauai is being invaded – by chickens! Over the past few decades, the feral chicken population on the island has EXPLODED! They scratch at the roots of young fruit trees, killing them.
Continue readingWater From Wood
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink… This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying, I’m parched! Sailors everywhere wish ocean water was drinkable. What if there was a cheap way to REMOVE the salt? Professor Liangbing Hu from the University of Maryland might
Continue readingStellar Visitor
Are we being watched by visitors from another galaxy? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A couple of years ago, astronomers saw something unexpected in their telescopes. An object from another solar system! Named Oumuamua, this spinning, skyscraper shaped rock confounded the scientists. Was it
Continue readingVampire Bacteria
I VANT to suck your… biofuel? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Algae can be made into a biofuel that’s greener than gasoline – literally! But a mysterious killer has been sucking its life out. What causes these healthy aquatic creatures to become a rotting
Continue readingRuff History
Did ancient human children read “Work Spot, Work?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Did early man put his pets to work? Some ancient dog fossils show evidence of the spinal disease, spondylosis deformans. Does this mean the dogs pulled heavy loads? Katherine Latham from
Continue readingA Powerful Leg-Up
I WOULD be out there getting my steps – but I forgot to charge up my Fit-Bit! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Walking gets our blood flowing and burns calories. But can walking power MORE than just our well-being? Enter Wei-Hsin Liao from the
Continue readingThat’s My Jam
Stuck in traffic? You’re not alone—or maybe you are! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Traffic congestion just seems to be getting WORSE, doesn’t it??!! To encourage carpooling, traffic engineers created high-occupancy vehicle or H-O-V lanes. Cars with a minimum of two or three passengers
Continue readingYummy Water
Does water have a flavor? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our tongue has taste buds to detect if something is sweet, sour, bitter, or salty. But how do we taste water? A team from Caltech may have uncovered the HIDDEN taste of water. How?
Continue readingMind-Body Balance
Ommmmm….can mindfulness help us live longer? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Yoga, meditation and Tai-Chi are proven ways to relieve anxiety and stress. But could these activities also help prevent disease? Ivana Buric at Coventry University studied how our bodies react to mindfulness practices.
Continue readingMarine Mucus Shelter
Hate cleaning house? Here’s a fun new solution! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Larvaceans are ocean creatures that resemble tadpoles. Every day they build a three-foot long mucus shelter that also traps food. To eat, the larvacean pumps and filters seawater through this gooey
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