A Litmus Test for Bad Breath
Researchers engineered a portable device that detects even the tiniest trace of hydrogen sulfide—one of the primary offenders in bad breath. Karen Hopkin reports.
Stories by Karen Hopkin
Saying "This May Hurt" May Make It Worse
Warning a child that something, like a vaccine shot, will hurt can actually increase their perception of the pain.
Neandertal Face Shape Was All Over the Air
The jutting midface of Neandertals seems to have evolved to help get large volumes of air into an active body that needed lots of oxygen.
U.S. Flu Spread Counts On Southern Cold Snaps
A multifactorial analysis finds that the ignition of a flu epidemic stems from a blast of colder weather striking an otherwise warm, humid, urban environment, and driving people indoors into close quarters.
Drones Could Help Biologists Tally Birds
Counting by drone not only saves time and effort, but yields better data on species numbers—a definite plus in terms of conservation. Karen Hopkin reports.
Animal Coloration Can Serve Double Duty
The cinnabar moth caterpillar's coloration pattern warns predators close up, but camouflages the critter from a distance.
Some Lichen Fungi Let Genes Go Bye
A study of 22 different types of lichens revealed 10 included fungi that had lost a gene for energy production, making them completely dependent on their algal partner.
Mosquitoes Learn the Smell of Danger
The bloodsuckers lose their appetite for attractive scents when they associate those aromas with a likelihood of being swatted. Karen Hopkin reports.
Beetle Liberation Due to Regurgitation
The bombardier beetle can spray its hot brew of toxic chemicals even after bring swallowed, to force a predator into vomiting it back out.
Homebodies Economize on Energy Use
Today’s work-from-home, on-demand culture means more days at home—and translates into greater energy savings, too. Karen Hopkin reports.
Holiday Cheer Leads to Birth-Rate Spike
During feel-good holiday periods like Christmas and Eid-al-Fitr, romance strikes—leading to a boom in births nine months later. Karen Hopkin reports.
Social Media Helps ID Spew Source
Surveillance of Yelp restaurant reviews for terms like vomit led researchers to the sources of foodborne illness outbreaks. Karen Hopkin reports.
Baby Bats Can Learn Different Dialects
Fruit bats raised hearing different pitches of sounds vocalized in keeping with their aural environment as they matured.
Pain and Weather Fail to Connect
A big data analysis involving more than 1.5 million patients could find no relationship between weather and complaints to doctors about joint or back pain.
Repetitive Sounds Are Music to the Brain
Repeating something can render that thing melodious—even the sound of a shovel being dragged across the pavement. Karen Hopkin reports.
Supermarket Snacking Boosts Sales
Noshing while shopping convinces consumers to buy the featured product more often than does simply seeing end-of-aisle displays. Karen Hopkin reports.
Ancient Women Had Awesome Arms
For thousands of years, women in agricultural societies seem to have had arms stronger than members of modern rowing teams.
Yeti Claims Don't Bear Up
Analysis of alleged yeti samples found them to be from less fantastic beasts, such as bears, but also shed light on the evolution of those local bear populations.
Dogs Bow to Wolves as Cooperators
Wolves appear to have better cooperation skills than dogs—unless the pups partner up with humans. Karen Hopkin reports.
Mosquitoes to Other Flying Insects: Do You Even Generate Lift?
Mosquitos stealthily float off us after filling up, by virtue of fast wingbeats that generate almost instant lift with only an imperceptible additional push from the legs.
