Author: Loh Down Staff

“You can’t teach an old dog…”—how does that go? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. As you age, certain motor functions begin to slow down. You don’t move as fast as you used to, and you become a tad forgetful. Based on past studies, most

Don’t have a date? Or a mate? No problem! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Animals sometimes go solo. Why? Because they can reproduce without mating: virgin birth! Technically, it’s called “parthenogenesis.” Instead of DNA from mom and dad, offspring just have mom’s DNA. So

The catch of the day is….robots? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Luckily, robotic fish won’t be on menus any time soon. But they are making a splash in exploring the ocean— considered, by many, the last frontier on earth. Scientists have tried using robotic

Cheery question: What percent of convictions are thought to be wrongful? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying: According to studies? Fifteen to twenty five percent! Yikes! And one of the major reasons for the high number? False confessions. But why would people admit to

Is that special glow. . . T-B? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Tuberculosis causes around two million deaths a year. And it can be difficult to diagnose! The test for poorer, densely populated places is over one hundred years old—and it’s often WRONG! Carolyn

Could the solution to global warming be a stone’s throw away? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Since the Industrial Revolution, burning fossil fuels has increased carbon dioxide emissions substantially. C-O-two traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to the “greenhouse effect”. For years, scientists have

What’s a whale’s favorite music jam? Apparently: the bluuuuueees! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Forget Coachella – there’s a BIGGER music festival happening… deep in the north Atlantic ocean! The headliners? Breeding bowhead whales! All winter long, these whales flirt by singing songs to

Was the first Grecian formula actually Roman? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When it came to coloring hair, Ancient Rome was startlingly advanced. Its recipe for hair dye combines lead sulphide and lime. These create nanocrystals, which grow not just inside hair strands but

Look, ma! No hands! I mean wings! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and on the tool-using habits of New Caledonian crows. Sure, various animals use tools, but we’re the only ones with toolboxes. So other species have to find creative ways of keeping their