It is interesting to come across people who feel that a ghost communicating via a spell-checker is less far-fetched than a software glitch. Mary Roach checkercommunicatefeel Change image and share on social
I talk to a lot of people who, when you try to sum them up in a couple of sentences, seem like they must be insane. Mary Roach coupleinsanelot Change image and share on social
Though it's harder to justify the use of a cadaver for practicing nose jobs than it is for practicing coronary bypasses, it is justifiable nonetheless. Cosmetic surgery exists, for better or for worse, and it's important, for the sake of those who undergo it, that the surgeons who do it are able to do it well. Mary Roach badlybypasscadaver share on social
Pet foods come in a variety of flavors because that's what humans like, and we assume our pets like what we like. We're wrong. Mary Roach assumeflavorfood Change image and share on social
I have a nice little office, with a nice little window in it, but I do basically spend huge amounts of time in what you could consider solitary confinement. Mary Roach amountbasicallyconfinement Change image and share on social
Animals' taste systems are specialized for the niche they occupy in the environment. That includes us. As hunters and foragers of the dry savannah, our earliest forebears evolved a taste for important but scarce nutrients: salt and high-energy fats and sugars. That, in a nutshell, explains the widespread popularity of junk food. Mary Roach animalearlyenergy share on social
I've read plenty of amazing science pieces where the writers don't hang out in labs. I just have fun doing it. And I get rewarded for it; I get gushy, especially when kids tell me they expected to be bored by my books, but weren't. Mary Roach amazebookbore share on social
If ergonomists have their way, future products won't be built for some hypothetical average person but will conform to the biomechanical needs of whatever particular human body happens to come into contact with them. Mary Roach averagebiomechanicalbody share on social
Because there are now online databases of federally funded research, and these databases are searchable by keyword, sex researchers have to be careful how they title their projects. It's become a simple matter, for those who are so inclined, to find and target researchers whose work they object to on religious grounds. Mary Roach carefuldatabasefederally share on social
I don't know of many people who've done sex research with an eye toward people saying sex is bad for you, except for the promiscuity and cervical cancer link - which is actually a valid discovery. Mary Roach badcancercervical Change image and share on social