Second-hand smoke is bad enough. But what about THIRD-hand smoke? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When your neighbor lights up, his smoke gets in YOUR eyes! It then reacts with sunlight or indoor chemicals to form what is called THIRD-hand smoke. Who knew? Peter
Continue reading
Exercise gives us that healthy glow…but uh-oh, B.O.! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Sweat is our body’s cooling-down mechanism. But does it have to be so smelly? Armpits, I’m looking at you! Our sweat is odorless, so what’s all the stink about? Gurdeep Minhas
Continue reading
Pop, lock, and… ouch! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Over twenty million people in the U-S suffer from joint pain, or osteoarthritis. Our joints are cushioned by cartilage. As we age, this cushion wears down but doesn’t grow back. Current treatments manage the pain
Continue reading
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 —
Continue reading
Just say “no” to plastic straws. Think of the turtles! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science Plastic is everywhere – in packaging, fast-food containers … dirt?! Yes, dirt! Farmers sometimes mix plastic chips with mulch to improve plant growth. But the plastic stays in our
Continue reading
Keep your hands out of your food! Unless they’re. . . robot hands? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Taste is the sensation triggered by our taste buds when they recognize flavor molecules. Chocolate – yum! Kale – not so much. But what if science
Continue reading
Gee, your hair smells terrific! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When we smell, odor molecules dock into special proteins that alert our brain. Mmmm…bacon! Biologists call these proteins olfactory receptors, or O-Rs, and they do more than just smell! All kinds of cells use
Continue reading
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 reading
Healthy milk chocolate. Sound nuts? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Unlike its more sophisticated cousin dark chocolate, milk chocolate isn’t known for its health benefits. But what if we could change that? Scientists at the USDA and North Carolina State University may have found
Continue reading
Medications, start your engines! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. In the last few years, scientists have developed biological micromotors for delivering drugs. They’re supposed to work like propellers, steering those healing medicinal molecules more quickly into your bloodstream. But there’s a problem. These motors
Continue reading