This Week in Science: Healthier Potato Chips and Lab-Grown Testicles

It’s time for “Nerd News,” covering the most important news for your brain.

Here’s a quick rundown of this week in science . . .

1.  In “Don’t Look Up” news:  A 5,000-pound satellite crashed back to Earth on Wednesday, and no one knew where it would land.  Luckily, the remaining pieces fell over the Pacific Ocean between Alaska and Hawaii, so no one was hurt.

Meanwhile, Japan is getting ready to launch the first ever wood satellite this summer.  There shouldn’t be a problem with that one burning up on re-entry.

2.  In food news, scientists at Michigan State University made a discovery that could lead to HEALTHIER potato chips.  It doesn’t have anything to do with salt, it’s about isolating unhealthy compounds in the starches of potatoes . . . specifically ones that form when cooked at high temperatures.

3.  Could a vegetarian diet prevent you from snoring and chronic sleeping problems?  New findings suggest a diet filled with healthy, plant-based foods may help prevent or manage obstructive sleep apnea.  It could have to do with the impact of plant-based diets on inflammation and obesity.

4.  The brains of men and women DO work differently.  Researchers from Stanford University demonstrated the differences between the brains of men and women by using A.I., and it was more than 90% accurate in differentiating between sexes based on “hotspots” shown in brain scans.

5.  (Careful)  And this is nuts:  Researchers in Israel have grown “laboratory testicles.”  The hope is that they could eventually ease male infertility, which affects more than 10% of American men, who are trying to conceive.

(Speaking of genitalia, a peer-reviewed scientific journal retracted a published study, containing nonsensical A.I.-generated images, including a rat with a GIGANTIC MANHOOD.  They apologized.)