Foot-Flaggin’ Frogs

Waving the white flag has a seductive new meaning! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying surrender — to the power of amphibian love. Meet the Bornean rock frog. These creatures live near waterfalls, and enjoy long hops on the beach. However, these romantic scenes

Continue reading

Painless Proboscis

Mosquitos! What a pain! Or…are they? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mosquitos are a familiar foe. They bite and leave behind itchy reminders of their presence. But how is it we never notice them sucking our blood until it’s too late? At the Ohio

Continue reading

Caveman Cartoons

What do you picture when you hear… “WILMAAA!!?” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When describing a scene, humans create a visual image of it in their mind’s eye. Could computers do the same? Meet Tanmay Gupta and researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Continue reading

Second Language Advantage

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 reading

Rice 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 reading

Brainless 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 reading

Mushroom 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 reading

Drip 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 reading

Bird 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 reading

Panda-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 reading