Hate crowds? Need your “personal space?” Negatively charged electrons do too! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. To understand electrons, scientists have developed a special technique called density functional theory – D-F-T for short. D-F-T is used to predict how electron crowds move in an
Gee, your hair smells terrific! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we smell, odor molecules dock into special proteins that alert our brain. Mmmm…bacon! Biologists call these proteins olfactory receptors, or O-Rs, and they do more than just smell! All kinds of cells use
Dogs have masters, but CATS have…staff? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Cats are notoriously picky eaters. What makes our feline friends so finicky? Adrian Hewson-Hughes at England’s Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition decided to find out. Scientists presented cats with three food options. The
Getting a twenty-one isn’t just a win at blackjack! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the endless pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, research is turning to our genetics. Specifically, the work of Tim Frayling and researchers at the University of Exeter. They’re leading an
Behold – the Dagwood sandwich! Thirty layers of perfectly crafted deliciousness! Open wide! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying wouldn’t it be nice to bite into a Dagwood sandwich and nab every single one of those ingredients? Unfortunately most of us don’t have mouths
Snap, crackle… collapse? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ice shelves in Antarctica are always on the move-forming sinkholes, collapsing, sliding into the sea. But it’s hard to study them in nature — these changes happen so slowly! To learn more about these impactful events
It’s jolly! Its green! But its …not a giant? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The ocean is teeming with diverse life, especially at hot vents on the ocean floor! For example, Archaea — single celled organisms, not to be confused with bacteria. Tiny, one-celled
Do animals REALLY see eye to eye? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most humans have the ability to detect color and perceive depth. But have you ever wondered how animals see the world? Eleanor Caves at Duke University studies how animals’ vision influences their
Will the next pain relief solution come in three-D? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. For many patients, hospitals mean pain. Needle pricks! Broken bones! Tonsillectomies! Physicians want to make each stay more pleasant. But prescribing pain medication can backfire with severe side effects. Doctors
This just in—science meets Smell-o-vision! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying: Humans expel all types of gases. Many are classified as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These gases are expelled by breathing, or even through your skin. But can the VOCs you emit, speak
