Science Quickly

Micrococcus bacteria thrive on the open-air lattice of synthetic fibers—where they sit chomping on the fatty acids in our sweat, turning them into shorter, stinkier molecules. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biologists have identified at least 11 different sounds in the turtle repertoire—but they still have no idea what they mean. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers from the Netherlands have made available online a digitized catalogue of more than 10 hours’ worth of chimpanzee calls. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ninety percent of Tibetans share a genetic mutation that prevents their blood from becoming dangerously clogged with red blood cells at high altitudes—a response that can be deadly for non-native mountaineers. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The simple question “To what extent do you agree with this statement: I am a narcissist” is about as good at identifying narcissists as a 40-question clinical assessment. Erika Beras reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The kilometer-size rubble pile appears to be held together by van der Waals forces. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Study volunteers who had listened to bass-heavy music were more likely to act dominant or aggressive in games and debates. Erika Beras reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women who reported feeling stressed or depressed burned fewer calories after a calorie-packed meal than mellow women. Erika Beras reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The number of invertebrates has fallen by nearly half over the past 35 years—the same period of time in which the human population has doubled. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When penalty shots repeatedly head in one direction, world-class goalkeepers are more likely to lunge the other way. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By analyzing the evolving structure of the Beatles’ music, the computer program was able to correctly place the Fab Four’s albums in chronological order. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sulfates used in water treatment become sulfuric acid in our sewers, eating away at the concrete infrastructure. Cynthia Graber reports.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exercising in the future could make dirty clothes and some clean energy. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recession lowers mortality in the population overall—even as the out-of-work individual’s risk of death rises. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When people with asthma think they’re smelling something noxious, their airways become inflamed—even when the odor is harmless. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To activate or loosen their grip on a surface, geckos extend and angle or retract tiny toe hairs that create contact points. Clara Moskowitz reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guys would rather zap themselves with electricity than be left alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. Karen Hopkin reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Web searches related to business and politics go up, the market tends to take a dive—although that connection may already be fading. Christopher Intagliata reports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new estimate finds that the Milky Way, once thought to be twice as massive as Andromeda, may actually only have half our neighbor galaxy's mass. Christopher Intagliata reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Masquerading as a bird turd appears to protect certain arachnids from getting eaten by wasps. Karen Hopkin reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A graphite disk resting on carbon foam collects sunlight to heat water directly to steam with 85 percent efficiency. Cynthia Graber reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raising beef uses 28 times more land, 11 times more water and six times more fertilizer than the average expenditures for other livestock. Cynthia Graber reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pack rats given the right gut bacteria via a fecal transplant from other pack rats can then digest foods that they formerly could not, but the donors could. Karen Hopkin reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A survey of the tanagers reveals that birds do not have to choose between colorful plumage and a melodious song. Karen Hopkin reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small changes in the protein sequence of sodium channels of American compared with German cockroaches leave the latter susceptible to a venom that has little effect on the former. Cynthia Graber reports    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices