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
Continue readingTag: chemistry
Flash Dance
It all happens in a flash! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Solar power is so cool — the sun comes out and on go your lights! HOW does that happen? It starts with chemicals like methyl viologen. They react with light to generate power.
Continue readingVanilla Warfare
Reduce, reuse, recycle…VANILLA? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plastic wrapping, cups, utensils, oh my! Plastic production is contributing to a global waste crisis! One type of plastic in particular, P.E.T, can be recycled — but it doesn’t break down easily. Is there a sweet
Continue readingUseful Leftovers
Hmm, medium-bodied, oaky, with notes of straight-up…sugar?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Wine tasting can be fun! However, not everything in the vat ends up in the bottle. Wine MAKING produces a lot of waste! California alone trashes two hundred thousands tons a year.
Continue readingGas to First Class
Fight carbon dioxide with…flight? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Back during the Renaissance, alchemists tried to turn metal into gold. No, it didn’t work – but what about some modern-day alchemy? Planes in flight burn fossil fuels, creating carbon dioxide. But could CO2 be
Continue readingPeriodic Table of Fruit
Atoms, ions, carbon – Welcome to Chemistry one-oh-one! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The table of periodic elements – quite the alphabet soup! Phosphorus is a P, but Potassium is a….K?? I don’t get it! But what if it was…an edible arrangement? Gregory Watson
Continue readingBumblebeer
Bees can sting, but can they make you…tipsy? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Brewing beer is an age-old tradition, and it’s all thanks to YEAST. There are nearly two thousand kinds of yeast on Earth. But only two types are used to brew beer:
Continue readingLet Them Eat Air
Can we make food out of thin air? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Soil is full of microbes. These tiny organisms eat and break down other organisms. They also recycle nutrients. But in desolate places on earth, or even in space, what is there
Continue readingFizzy and Fat
Your beverage of choice. Fizzy or flat? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. We know that sugary sodas can pack on pounds. But we love our bubbly bevs! So we’re cutting back on soda, drinking more sparkling water, and staying hydrated! That’s a healthy lifestyle
Continue readingMushroom Counterfeiters
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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