Three Science Stories: Bean Plant Defense, Mouse Learning, and DEET Study
The Story
A recent roundup of science news from NPR’s Short Wave podcast covers three new findings. A study in Science Advances reports that bean plants release a chemical signal when caterpillars chew on them, attracting predatory wasps that attack the caterpillars. Another study in Science found that giving mice larger rewards less frequently helped them learn tasks faster than smaller, more frequent rewards. A third study in the Journal of Experimental Biology suggests that mosquitoes can learn to associate the smell of the repellent DEET with feeding, though researchers say DEET remains effective in real-world settings.
Key Facts
- Researchers described that when caterpillars chew bean plants, a compound in caterpillar spit causes the plants to release a chemical signal known to attract predatory wasps.
- In the mouse study, bigger rewards given less frequently led to faster learning, according to author Josh Dudman.
- The reward for mice was artificially sweetened water; tasks included responding to sounds, pulling a joystick, and turning a steering wheel.
- The DEET study used Pavlovian conditioning, pairing the smell of DEET with a blood or sugar reward, and over half of mosquito trials showed attraction to DEET.
- Trained mosquitoes gravitated toward a human hand sprayed with DEET more than an untreated hand.
- Researchers emphasized not to stop using DEET, as it remains effective against untrained, wild mosquitoes.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
The source article does not fully explain how DEET works chemically, nor whether mosquito attraction to DEET can occur in the wild.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Adam Steinbrenner, plant biologist at the University of Washington and author of the bean plant study
- Josh Dudman, author of the mouse learning study
- Clement Vinauger, neuroethologist at Virginia Tech and author of the DEET study
- Ali Afify, entomologist and neuroscientist at Drexel University, not involved in the DEET study
Sources: NPR
