Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition

Latest Episodes:

Newton-flix Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

It's 2020 and students worldwide have been dismissed from their dormitories and classrooms. Zoom classes aside, many are wondering if there is any hope in salvaging this critical time in their lives. Many may be surprised to find, they're not the first students sent home on account of a pandemic! In 1665, the bubonic plague was ravaging much of England. As a result, one “Isaac Newton” was forced off the Cambridge University campus and returned home to shelter in place. In his newfound solitude, he came to develop the underpinnings of the theories of gravity & calculus… but Newton didn’t have Netflix! In these dire times, how can we mere mortals stay safe and sane?!
Written and performed by Sumner L. Norman, Ph.D.

Engineered for Destruction Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

Plague, influenza, coronavirus... pandemics throughout history reveal successful viruses built for destruction. Mystery often surrounds the origins of these baddies. How did they come to be? Are dangerous viruses usually created in a lab, or is nature the real mad scientist?
Learn how scientists can tell whether newsworthy nasties (like viruses and bacteria) are natural, or D-I-Y'd by humans! Hint: tracking the genetic family tree of the most infamous examples reveals the answer.
Written and reported by Brenna Biggs.

Soapy Surfactants Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds is cited as the best practice to protect ourselves from coronavirus. As impossible as it seems, something as mundane as soap really is out best defense again the new coronavirus. In fact, soap has a long history of keeping us safe. The answer lies in soap's unique chemical makeup, which is perfectly equipped for destroying viruses!
Written and reported by Kellen Kartub, Ph.D.

The Silver Lining Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

"The Roaring 20s" (aka: the 1920's) was a time of unprecedented American innovation and prosperity. An explosion of Model T's on the road; cool new inventions from television to sunglasses and, yes, sliced bread. But in fact, America had just emerged from not just World War 1 but its own pandemic, the Spanish Flu.
Wars, terrible as they are, galvanize societies to jumpstart technologies. WW2 bought us radar, GPS tracking, even microwaved popcorn. A pandemic such as coronavirus is like a war, with health workers on the front lines - what unexpected discoveries may come?!

Welcome! Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

The Loh Down on Science is your daily humorous yet informative daily radio "minute" on current scientific research (available on Southern California Public Radio--KPCC 89.3 FM Los Angeles, NPR and PRX). It's hosted by Caltech physics grad Sandra Tsing Loh, whose commentaries and stories have been heard on NPR's Morning Edition, This American Life, and Marketplace. This new (launching April, 2020) Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition includes three-minute family-friendly modules focused on the science and history of pandemics. Its reporters are members of the Loh Down on Science "Hive," housed by the University of California, Irvine Graduate Division. Topics include herd immunity, the science of soap, what Isaac Newton did over HIS quarantine break (Bubonic Plague, 1600's), how you can link your home computer with others to hunt for COVID-19's "Achilles Heel," and more. Appropriate for middle school and up.

Written and voiced by Sandra Tsing Loh, Anny Celsi, production consultant, with thanks to UC Irvine Graduate Division, LDOS Media Lab, and the Fuhs Family Foundation