Could fun in the sun – mean grief in the reef? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The sun’s ultraviolet rays cause suntans, sunburns… and an increased risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen protects our skin by using chemicals like oxybenzone to absorb harmful UV rays.
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Counterfeit mushrooms? That’s nothing to sniff at. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Italian alba white truffles are a fungal delicacy. Connoisseurs love their distinct aroma and taste. So much so, that their going rate is about three thousand dollars per pound! Unfortunately, the aroma
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It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… an ion-plane? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Aircraft fly using thrust from a power source to generate lift with their wings. Usually, that power source is a gas guzzling engine, or a noisy propeller. City dwellers pay
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Don’t erupt — but is that a fake I.D.?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Taupo is an active volcano in New Zealand. But scientists can’t pin down its age! The usual method is to carbon date nearby trees that perished during the eruption. All
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I spy with my little eye….A-I? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Human intelligence can easily tell elbows from oboes. But ARTIFICIAL intelligence networks are TAUGHT using thousands of pictures. This deep learning technique has achieved extraordinary success at teaching A-I to see and identify
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Snakes are taking “you are what you eat” LITERALLY! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The effects of snake venom can range from harmless to deadly. But why not a one size fits all approach? Or one BITE, as it were. Kevin Healy from the
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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 —
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Cold got you down? STAY HOME! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. More and more, people are told to stay home if they are feeling sick. Don’t infect the whole office! But does it really make a difference? Ask an ant! The highly social nature
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Snap, crackle… collapse? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ice shelves in Antarctica are always on the move-forming sinkholes, collapsing, sliding into the sea. But it’s hard to study them in nature — these changes happen so slowly! To learn more about these impactful events
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Flight of the bumblebee? More like flight of the bumble…drone! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Engineers are always looking to make things lighter, faster, and stronger. Origami-inspired structures are lightweight and cost-effective. That’s perfect for improving robot technology such as drones. However, they have
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