My Spidey-sense is tingling! Is there a storm on the way? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Like Spider-Man, spiders release a line of silk and then LEAP into the air. This is called ballooning, and it’s how spiders travel far and wide. Some can
Continue readingCategory: Episodes
Seeing Eye to Eye
Do animals REALLY see eye to eye? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most humans have the ability to detect color and perceive depth. But have you ever wondered how animals see the world? Eleanor Caves at Duke University studies how animals’ vision influences their
Continue readingVirtually Painless
Lost at Minecraft AGAIN? Painful! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, asking…but what if video games could bring pain RELIEF? Henry Xiang and team from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital tried this out on pediatric burn patients. They designed a virtual reality game requiring patients to
Continue readingSuspenseful Gases
This just in—science meets Smell-o-vision! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying: Humans expel all types of gases. Many are classified as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These gases are expelled by breathing, or even through your skin. But can the VOCs you emit, speak
Continue readingSitting or Smoking
Tell click-bait medical headlines to take a seat! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We all know that sitting all day isn’t ideal. According to recent headlines, “sitting is the new smoking!” At Athabasca University, Jeff Vallance studies human health and behavior. He wondered: Could
Continue readingOnce Upon A Time
Once upon a time, a tale as OLD as time was created. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, with a story about stories. What is the origin of our beloved fantastical folk tales? The nineteenth century Brothers Grimm got most of the credit and lived
Continue readingSmells Like Lemur Spirit
Scary! A creature that can smell your weakness! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we think of creatures that smell weakness, we imagine…vampires! Sci-fi villains! That TERRIFYING clown in IT??!! Well, science has added a new creature to that list: LEMURS?! Rachel Harris from
Continue readingViral Addiction
Has addiction gone VIRAL? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Retroviruses like HIV make us sick by inserting their genes into our cells. Usually, these genes cause cells to make new copies of the retrovirus. But occasionally, the genes mutate and can’t make new viruses.
Continue readingTongue-Tied T-Rex
DINO got your tongue? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Dinosaurs are making a COMEBACK… on screen that is! Movies like Jurassic Park had to IMAGINE what these fierce creatures looked like. But ever wondered if they had it WRONG? Enter an international research team
Continue readingPlastic, Heal Thyself!
Family potluck, plate of fixin’s. . . Another plastic fork bites the dust! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plastic items break every day, from phone cases to prosthetics. If only they could fix themselves! Traditional plastic is like a long chain of repeating molecular
Continue reading