Very Hungry Caterpillars

Munch munch munch… Someday I will be a beautiful butterfly! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars spend their days busily feasting, turning carbon-rich leaves into nitrogen-rich poo. This means less falling leaves and more caterpillar poop washing into nearby lakes. This can change the

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Hangry and Blind

I’m so hangry, I’m BLIND with rage! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Spiders are known for their super sharp vision. Different factors can affect this ability. What about diet and nutrition?  Shubham Rathore from University of Cincinnati and team investigated.  They had two groups

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Worm Scouts

Boy scouts can learn a thing or two about knots… from WORMS? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Have you ever tried to tie a knot so tight that you couldn’t undo it? Turns out there are OTHER organisms that have mastered the knotting technique!

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Pee is for Propulsion

New insight on jet technology from… insect pee?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Attention 11 year olds! What do ‘butt-flickers,’ ‘frass-shooters,’ and ‘turd-hurlers’ have in common? They’re all sharpshooter insects that shoot their pee! And they can do it super fast. But how? Elio

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Glow Worms, Glow!

You’ve heard of earthworms? But what about… AIR WORMS?!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ah, nothing like a breath of fresh air. Good air quality is essential for our health. But how do we know we’re breathing dirty air BEFORE it hurts us?  Sari

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Bug Bites

  Is the next foodie fad… crickets?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying, CRUNCHY! Protein is part of a healthy diet. However, meat can be expensive, and raising livestock uses lots of resources. Insects are more sustainable, BUT… are people willing to EAT BUGS?

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Queen Vaccine

Vaccinate your … BEES?!!!!!?!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Bees are essential to our food supply and planet. However, our buzzing little friends can get sick just like us. Some diseases can wipe out an entire hive! How can we save them? Fear not,

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Hangry Caterpillars

When does the very HUNGRY caterpillar become very HANGRY? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Eating is a serious – and DANGEROUS – business! I WILL “cut you” for that last piece of Valentine’s candy! Do our creepy-crawly friends feel the same? Enter Joseph Collie

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Buzzing Cities

Why does this place have so much BUZZ anyway?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.  Would you rather live in an empty lot, full of scraggly shrubs, or a beautiful urban garden? WAIT, plot twist… you’re a BEE. Where would you make your bee-home in

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Resurrecting Spiders

Beware the dead spider robots!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying: “Quick! Grab a shoe”. Ready, aim and…Wack! The spider falls to the ground. Watch as its legs curl. Yuck! Why do they do that!? Enter Te Faye Yap and team from Rice University. 

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