Your daily 90-second dose of real science for real people, with Sandra Tsing Loh!
Over forty? Good news! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: Your brain’s best years are still ahead! It’s been thought that mental speed and memory peak for people in their twenties. And knowledge that builds with time and experience, like your vocabulary, has seemed
“Gimme your lunch money!” – Remember that from recess? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The Karate Kid versus Johnny the Bully. Can the physically weak win against the incredibly strong? It’s not just humans. Animals use physical dominance to establish their social rank. Take
Want to know how smart your baby will be? Check her diaper! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science…and baby poop. Fun fact: your poop is loaded with bacteria. These bacteria come from your gut where trillions of them live. They help us digest food, protect
It isn’t easy eating green! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Eastern coastal waters are home to pretty green sea slugs, called eastern emerald elysia. They look like leaves! What’s more, these marine animals eat algae, a plant. Then somehow they use the algae to
Let’s talk turkey – about laundry? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Our clothes are colored with dyes that work by absorbing light. That is, they soak UP certain colors, and reflect BACK the ones we see. But sadly, pigments aren’t permanent. After a few
How do you like your eggs – over easy? Sunny-side up? Pointy??! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some birds lay eggs shaped like teardrops. Others look like a ball. And there’s everything in between! Why so MANY different shapes? Enter Mary Caswell Stoddard, a
Have you ever wondered why popcorn pops? French scientists have. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet Emmanuel Virot and Alexandre Ponomarenko. They study extreme forces. Things like: how wind breaks trees. Their experiments require special equipment, including cameras that record thousands of images per
Are you willing to lend a hand—or a fiver? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A friend in need? We’re on it! But what about needy strangers? René Hurlemann at the University of Bonn Medical Center and his colleagues had an idea. Their possible remedy
Finally! Incisive research on beaver teeth! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Beavers are amazing. They’re not only master carpenters, but they fell timber with their teeth! Don’t try that at home! And like many rodents, beavers’ incisors continually grow. What’s more, they don’t get
Keep on running! One more minute! PHEW! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Being healthy can mean a lot of things. Kale juice, spin class, weightlifting! We know how to stay lean and build muscle. But what about bones? Bone weakens as we age, especially