Nibbling Cancer Away

Imagine a meal even Ms. Pacman can’t swallow whole!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Macrophages are large immune cells with an even LARGER appetite – they’re known for swallowing bacteria whole!  Ramraj Velmurugan from Texas A&M University and colleagues wondered – just how big

Continue reading

Tracking by Burp

Love is in the air tonight … or is that giraffe DNA? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Imagine trying to study animals that are always in hiding! Animal ecologists can relate! Scientists can learn a lot about elusive sea creatures by analyzing their environmental

Continue reading

Bat-ty GPS

Oh no! Our GPS has gone BATTY! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Carrying a toddler around all day? Who can relate? Egyptian fruit bats!! Mother bats carry their newborns everywhere when looking for food. But eventually, these pups learn to spread their wings and

Continue reading

Feather Weather

Flying off to a beach vacation? Pack sunscreen, bathing suits, and…feathers?!   This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Birds also migrate thousands of miles to warmer climates! But while we humans fly in air-conditioned comfort, how do these birds of a feather stay cool?  Kasper Delhey

Continue reading

Brain Synch

“Once upon a time…” could be more than a fairy tale!  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science…and storytelling as mind control!?  Enhui Xie and Qing Yin from East China Normal University and colleagues wondered. Could telling stories turn strangers into friends?? Thirty-two volunteers were split

Continue reading

Super Jelly!

Flexible as jelly! Stronger than shatter-proof glass! It’s SUPER … stuff?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Hydrogels are flexible building materials – and they’re super-useful! Think contact lenses, wound dressings, and even oral medication capsules! Their only drawback? Durability! Stretch a rubber band one

Continue reading

Smoked Out

Don’t set your scale on fire just yet! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Congratulations, you’ve kicked your smoking habit after years of trying! You’ve gained health benefits, but also…some weight?? Some former smokers have gained up to twenty pounds after quitting! What’s to blame? 

Continue reading

Bilingual Dogs

Sit! Stay! Speak…in a foreign language? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Time for a WALK! Here’s your TREAT! Dogs perk right up when they hear familiar words. But if we spoke in another language, would they notice? Enter Laura Cuaya and team at Eötvös

Continue reading

Caveman Decor

Is it a Picasso, a Pollock, or… a Neanderthal? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science — and Art PRE-history 101! Neanderthals are our closest EXTINCT relatives. Early humans certainly made art — but were there Neanderthal artistes?  Enter Dirk Leder and colleagues at the State

Continue reading

Green Glitter

Not all that glitters is “green!”  This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What do birthday parties, cosmetics, and My Little Pony have in common? GLITTER! We can’t seem to get enough! However, our shimmery addiction contributes to the problem of microplastics and pollution in the

Continue reading