Small Lives, Big Impact

TRIGGER WARNING: Spiders!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. There are nearly a hundred thousand species of insects and spiders in North America. Sadly, we know very little about their conservation needs. Which mini-beasties need to be protected? Wes Walsh and Laura Figueroa at the

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Staying in TOUCH

Would you shake hands … over Zoom? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Humans are built to connect. But distance can make that hard. Modern-day technology has solved these issues, but something is still missing: touch.  Enter Maya Dunlap and team at Saint Louis University.

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The Facts-olotls on Axolotls

Will these amphibious influencers make an IRL comeback? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Axolotls have overtaken the internet with their funky frills. But despite their social media presence, the wilderness lacks-olotl axolotls. Habitat destruction has left under a thousand in the wild. What can

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DEGREES of Disadvantages

Is SWELTERING weather MELTING milestones?   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Here’s a HOT take, from Jorge Cuartas and team at New York University.  They tested if warmer climates affected learning in children. They used surveys from nearly twenty thousand children across six countries. When

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Neanderthal Boyfriends

Ugh, still dating that NEANDERTHAL? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Fifty thousand years ago, that was normal! Huh?! Alexander Platt and team at the University of Pennsylvania investigated. These encounters left clues in DNA. Remember: Mothers always pass X chromosomes, while fathers pass X

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Data in Glass

Want family photos that will last for millennia?!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We’re generating more data than ever. Yet, digital data is at risk of being lost forever due to corrupted hard drives.  But Microsoft Research’s Project Silica Team has an idea! They

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Mold With a Mission

Is this mold on a mission? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Could fungi help clean up our plastic pollution mess?  Victor Gambarini at the University of Auckland studied a soil fungus called Clonostachys rosea. After looking at all of its genes, his team identified twelve

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Chatty Cats

Housecats and wild cats speak different languages? You gotta be KITTEN me! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. It’s no secret our pet cats have distinct purrrr-sonalities. But how do they differ from wild cats, like cheetahs or tigers? Enter Danilo Russo and team from

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Matcha Boost

Did Popeye eat spinach… OR MATCHA! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Green tea is known for its benefits to muscle and metabolic health. Matcha, a powdered form of green tea, packs even more nutrients than traditional loose-leaf green tea.  Could that give your workout

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