No, “quesadilla” does not mean “how’s your day?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying “willkommen, bienvenue, welcome!” Having two or more languages under your belt is handy when traveling – and singing show tunes! But does it also help you in other ways? Can
Continue readingRice Cooker
Rice is delicious! But no longer nutritious? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Climate change can really bring the heat! But, ocean levels aren’t the only thing on the rise. Carbon dioxide levels are also increasing. How does this change in the atmosphere affect our
Continue readingBrainless Learning
Do you really need a brain to learn? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down On Science saying, maybe not—If you’re a slime mold! Those are single-celled organisms with a remarkably cooperative attitude. Individual cells come together into large colonies that appear to behave like single organisms. These
Continue readingMushroom Counterfeiters
Counterfeit mushrooms? That’s nothing to sniff at. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Italian alba white truffles are a fungal delicacy. Connoisseurs love their distinct aroma and taste. So much so, that their going rate is about three thousand dollars per pound! Unfortunately, the aroma
Continue readingDrip Drop
The sound of insomnia: cue the LEAKY FAUCET! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, on the most annoying sound ever. What causes that DRIP DRIP of a leaky bathtub? It’s not what you think! Anurag Agarwal at the University of Cambridge discovered the cause —
Continue readingBird Peace
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
Continue readingPanda-nomics
Pandas! Black, white…and loaded with green? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. As of 2016, giant pandas are no longer an endangered species! Conservation efforts are clearly paying off. But maintaining panda sanctuaries costs China two to three hundred million dollars a year. Is it
Continue readingThe Nerve!
Are cockroaches lending a helping hand? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. I know – technically cockroaches don’t have hands… But they do have legs, and they’re revolutionizing prosthetic limbs. How? Yeongin Kim and colleagues at Stanford University have created an artificial nerve. It senses
Continue readingPower House
Hey couch potatoes! Could watching TV power… your home? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Despite our best intentions, we constantly waste energy. Not because I fell asleep watching Jeopardy, again, but due to heat loss. Phones, computers, cars – almost any device or large
Continue readingSlip n’ Slide
Hold onto your MARBLES, this ice is slippery! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever slip and fall on an ice-skating rink? People often blame this slipperiness on a layer of freshly melted water on top of ice. But recent research by brothers Mischa and
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