Matt Palmquist

Researchers mix technology with fashion, analyze a pharaoh's skin condition, measure the smarts of Scrabble players, and more in this edition of Miller-McCune's "Cocktail Napkin."

Do we really need to smell the items featured in TV programming? A materials expert has created a function for your TV or portable device that can generate thousands of odors.

In this edition of The Cocktail Napkin, we look academics' fixation on the social and economic problems in the world of Harry Potter, and how music festivals impact the psychological and social well-being.

As if being wiped out by a meteor wasn't degrading enough, a charismatic dinosaur discovered in Utah gets a less-than-flattering name.

Researchers from Nottingham University Business School say their survey proves it's time for the city to re-embrace its most famous, albeit probably mythical, hero.

Newsflash: Submerging your feet in alcohol doesn't get you intoxicated. It only helps you dodge the "Less Filling/Tastes Great" debate. Sorry, Denmark.

In a recent experiment, women who showed interest in college-aged men were more likely to be remembered if they were deemed attractive.

Researchers discover very specific patterns in the movement of bacteria, which has important implications for the treatment of infections.

A Penn State power-system expert cites laws of physics to pull the plug on worries that a terrorist attack on a minor substation could bring down the entire U.S. electric grid.

Researchers tap the indie marketplace to learn more about hipsters, who don't think of themselves as hipsters despite their obvious hipsterness.

In comparison to French and Italian parents, Canadians deemed most tolerant, according to study.

Study says using a cell phone while driving causes communication breakdowns that could cause misunderstandings and hurt relationships.

Ready for a close-up: The year in award-winning photojournalism presented by the World Press Photo Exhibition.

Paper reveals that players of a popular video game increase their performance when they've had a full night of rest.

Amid a rush of political scandals and missteps, we figure that some citizens are more embarrassed for their state than others. We look at the shameful headlines and determine where these states would rank on the citizen embarrassment level.

How textbook changes and talk of secession affect the citizen embarrassment level in Texas.

How battling Obamacare and being highlighted for corruption affect the citizen embarrassment level in Tennessee.

How former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and state corruption in general affect the citizen embarrassment level in Illinois.

How gun laws, Confederate History Month and a statue of Stalin contribute to the citizen embarrassment level in Virginia.

How rampant corruption, a governor's affair with a prostitute and the fall of "America's Cop" affect the citizen embarrassment level in New York.

How immigration laws, a state boycott and a "worst sheriff" honor affect the citizen embarrassment level in Arizona.

How a budget deficit, credit crisis and the Governator affect the citizen embarrassment level in California.

Scientists who argue for human-caused climate change published twice as many papers and are cited 64 percent more often than researchers who doubt climate change.

Researchers analyzing episodes of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and Fox's "House" determine the hospital dramas are "rife" with incidents that violate professional codes of conduct.

Researchers find that skateboarders will take more risks with their tricks and boast higher testosterone levels when women are present.

Researchers find a link between hip fractures in grandfathers and reduced bone size in their grandsons. Plus, see what happens when pop culture and academics collide ...

Scientists say the dietary silicon in beer boosts bone density, and moderate consumption might help fight osteoporosis.

It's no joke: Researchers give Viagra to pregnant sheep and find that the drug boosts vital nutrients needed for fetal development.

Tens of thousands of 'Purple People' — named after the traditional color of Italian mourning — march in Rome to protest a legendarily bombastic, allegedly corrupt prime minister. Is the country finally ready to say basta?

A controlling, bossy element on "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" exudes qualities that put him on track to become vice president?

Scientists weigh the possibility that methane gas on Mars comes from microorganisms in the soil.

A scientific 'sniff test' could aid museums and libraries in preserving their old works without damaging the actual documents.

College party-goers share their reasons puffing on the patio ... and other odd studies highlighted in this month's Cocktail Napkin.

Researchers find that disappointed voters on Election Night 2008 experienced a dip in testosterone levels. How do they know? They measured the voters' spit, of course.

A leading canine researcher says dogs understand more than 150 words and can count up to four or five. He has compiled a list of the world's smartest dogs. See if your pooch cracks his Top 7.

Professor Shigeru Watanabe from Keio University in Japan, writing in the journal Animal Cognition, says pigeons can use color, pattern and texture to distinguish good paintings from bad.

An esteemed professor rightly takes AIDS denialists to task, but his valuable history of the movement is at times a caustic read.

Miller-McCune magazine highlights current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.

MDMA holds promise as part of a therapy that helps post-traumatic stress patients confront and extinguish their fears. But ecstasy's recreational reputation has slowed research.

Miller-McCune magazine highlights current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.

The digital revolution lets antiquities forgers sell their 'replicas' worldwide, unintentionally undermining the black market in looted artifacts.

A new book says that Iran's leadership is opportunistic, not evil, and therefore open to imaginative American policy initiatives.

As this blog has been telling readers for a while now, medical research on mice should never be shunted — unless, of course, the 'shunt' itself is the focus of the research.

Nanoparticles that help form 'micelles' — how perfect for this blog — help in targeting plaque linked to cardiovascular disease.

If you've ever found yourself wondering, 'Why can't mice talk?' this is the study (and, let's face it, the blog) for you.

In a new book that questions the concept of 'class war,' two academics argue that income inequality is not a partisan issue but an American problem, and that citizens should 'make a ruckus' about it.

It's called the 'rat race,' but it turns out they're not really going very far.

How, exactly, do antidepressant drugs like Prozac affect the brain?

Humans often don't know what's in nature's medicine chest, but a brand-new study suggests that even the scummier corners may hold cures.

Think you might be adding an extra pound or two around the middle? Well, then it might be time to reach up to that spice shelf and take down your bottle of turmeric powder.