High-Class Element

More money, more problems? Not if you are a social-climbing metal! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Electrons are like the currency of chemistry. And usually, elements like to have a full wallet! Many elements, like carbon and oxygen, are stuck at eight electrons —

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Pick Your Battles

Democracy is all about civility… right? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Conflict happens. Kids pull hair, spouses fight, politicians declare war. But democracies have voting power! Does that make us nicer than dictatorships? Meet political scientists Michael Gilbilisco, from Caltech, and Casey Crisman-Cox from

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Night Vision

As “Game of Thrones” fans know — winter is coming! Let’s hope the white walkers don’t have night vision! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We humans aren’t the best at night vision. We detect motion with direction-selective ganglion cells, or DSGCs. Some specifically detect

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Poopy Climate Change

Family road trip! What’s that smell? Is it Dad, Mom, or–? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying: Pee-yew! It’s cows, and their poop! Cows smell bad but their poop smells worse. Then again, could a climate change secret be hiding in those cow pies..?

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Mosquito Ears

Shhh!!! There’s blood suckers out here!! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Mosquitos!. By the time we hear them, it’s already too late – we’re lunch! But could THEY be the ones to hear US coming first? Meet Ron Hoy and Gil Menda, of Cornell

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That Lovin’ Feeling

What happens when love and touch meet? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Love isn’t always about words. We say a lot in the way we touch and hold loved ones. These physical contacts release feel-good brain chemicals like oxytocin. But do those brain responses

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Ancient Inkers

Hey kids – tattoos have ALWAYS been cool – even before you were born! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ancient humans tattooed themselves both as a means of self expression, and to fit in with the gang. It was a permanent way of demonstrating

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Cali-chromosomes

Why do cats come in so many different colors? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Calico cats are mostly white with patches of orange and black fur. Though the pattern is always different, they almost all have something in common. Ninety-nine percent of calico cats

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Better Baby Babble

Is your babbling baby the next Shakespeare? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Baby babble… it’s sooooo cute! But it’s also an important part of brain development. Infancy is when babies hear and try to mimic the sounds around them. This exercise lays down the

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Cold Brew Conspiracy

Is the cure for cancer. . . cold brew coffee? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, filtering out the truth! The health benefits of coffee have been highly touted lately. In particular, those of cold brew coffee. But the science is still, um, murky. murky.

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