“Totally random!” It isn’t just Valley speak! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Still using your cat’s birthday for your bank password? Me too! But random number generators are key to protecting websites and keeping sensitive information safe. Unfortunately, computer codes that produce random numbers
Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi — you’re my only hope! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In Sci-fi films, communicating via 3-D holograms is all the rage. Here on earth, our two dimensional video conference calls? Not nearly as exciting. No longer, says Roel Vertegaal of
Mothers to be—No more T-H-C! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying: Turn on, tune in, and LEAVE THE POT OUT. Marijuana has been legalized in twenty-five states in the U-S, for medical or recreational use. Of those who smoke marijuana, 6 percent are pregnant
What makes an elephant pack its trunk. . . and leave? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Elephant societies are matriarchal. Mothers and grandmothers lead the way. Sadly, older females are often targeted for their tusks. This leaves their family orphaned! So what happens when
Avoiding the dentist? Is it fear that’s keeping you away or. . . something else? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scientists have long thought anxiety begins at the amygdala, the fear center of the brain. But a different brain part, the hippocampus, might be
Bread, beer, infections—what’s the common thread? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying, in many cases, it’s yeast. But where did the FIRST yeast start? Meet scientists Gianni Liti from the Université Côte d’Azur and Joseph Schacherer from the Université de Strasbourg. They studied the
Did playing doctor just get real? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What if you could diagnose viruses – like Zika – from home? This may be possible very soon! Right now, a Zika diagnosis requires a blood test. This can be challenging and expensive
Too big…? too small… ? This BODY size is just right! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mammals that live in the ocean are some of the largest animals in the world. Think whales and walruses. These mammals’ ancestors used to live on land. When
Afraid of spiders? Just wave your wizard wand! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying, unfortunately, unlike Harry Potter and his friends, we can’t simply magic the fear away. Or can we? Uncontrollable fear can make life difficult, and there aren’t many options for treatment.
Things that smell: rotten eggs, farts, …Neptune’s neighbor? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Uranus is one of our solar system’s gas planets. Made of liquid and gas, unlike Earth, it has no solid surface. We know very little about it, partly because it’s almost
