How much do I love cocoa? A choc-o-LOT! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. But there are a lot of weird chocolates out there these days. Chocolate with burnt caramel, himalayan sea salt, CRANBERRIES. Sounds so tortured. And in fact, even making the straight stuff
Continue readingCategory: Episodes
The Road Death Traveled
Have you ever felt your life flash before your eyes? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Millions have had just such a near-death experience and lived to tell the tale! They often also report that they felt separated from their bodies. Why do so many
Continue readingSilky and Sustainable
Introducing the next heavyweight material champion…SILK! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plastic…it’s cheap, flexible, durable, colorful…. AND, a nightmare to recycle. Can something else be the new “plastics”? Enter Zongpu Xu from Zhejiang University, and team. They set out to make a SUPER sustainable
Continue readingFoggy Thinking
Feeling a little fuzzy today? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Asbestos in the walls! Aerosol particles in the air! Pollution is EVERYWHERE! Studies have shown that continual exposure to OUTDOOR air pollution can cause loss of brain function. Horrors! Should we play it safe
Continue readingBeauty Sleep
The fountain of youth? It’s been discovered! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Did you know that animal life expectancy is typically related to their SIZE? While a mouse usually only lives to age seven, an elephant can live up to seventy! However, marmots, which
Continue readingPlastic Pacman
“You’re not leaving the table until you finish your… plastic?!” This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. A really inconvenient truth? Sort those colored bins as we like, only a small percentage of plastics can actually be recycled. Most end up in landfills, or burned, causing
Continue readingFoolproof Flirtation
Getting ghosted after the first date? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… saying… Flirting can be so difficult! But can it be–well–learned? Enter Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair and team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. They wanted to know which flirting strategies people
Continue readingVersatile Vanilla
Variety is the spice of life, but me – I just put vanilla in everything! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science… I always order a vanilla latte at Starbucks because… everyone else does! But how far back does this trend go? Meet Ayala Amir and
Continue readingFin-tastic Drivers
Birds gotta fly, fish gotta…DRIVE?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You’re driving your usual route to work. Oh no! Road construction blocks the street you normally take. How does your brain steer you through the detour on an unfamiliar street? Shachar Givon from the
Continue readingMr. Mice Guy
Are you a social butterfly by nature…or nurture? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Early life adversity or ELA refers to negative experiences during childhood. Think: neglect and poverty. These experiences influence adult behavior, but HOW? Kara Wendel and colleagues from the University of California,
Continue reading