A collection of interesting science and health stories from the past week(s). 

Three’s a Crowd.

Having three daughters and no sons can lead to a minor dent in mothers’ well-being that can take a whole decade to pass, according to researchers. (The Guardian)

Psychologists found that women who had three children of the same sex saw a drop in their life satisfaction and well-being over a ten-year period. Parents with two children of the same sex had the opposite effect – mostly due to the fathers while the mothers’ wellbeing took some time to bounce back. This may be caused by an ‘outdated preference’ for boys.

Twinkle Twinkle

The annual Perseid meteor shower has lit up skies across the world to the delight of those hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star. (BBC)

Pick it and Flick it!

Healthcare workers who engaged in rhinotillexis were more likely to catch Covid than those who refrained. (The Guardian)

Okay, first of all – NEW WORD ALERT. Rhinotillexis is just a fancy way of saying picking your nose. Second, as gross as this is, it’s hardly surprising (or uncommon). It does show that it always pays to be careful and practice good hygiene at all times.

Booyah!

Researchers are reporting that they have developed a proof-of-concept technique to 'tattoo' living cells and tissues with flexible arrays of gold nanodots and nanowires (Science Daily).

If you’re a Cyborg fan, there might be some good news. If you were terrified by the movie I-Robot, there might be some bad news.