This Week in Science: Mosquitos, Space Litter, and Alien Eavesdroppers

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.  Could aliens be listening in on our cell phone calls?  A new study found it’s possible if they’re listening from nearby stars.  It’s more about detecting signals though.  They’re probably not listening to you moan to a friend about how your husband forgot Mother’s Day again.

2.  Experts confirmed that a rock that smashed through a roof in New Jersey on Monday was a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite.  Maybe a piece of Halley’s Comet.

3.  In other space news:  SpaceX wants to put the first privately-owned space station in orbit.  And NASA says littering in space is okay, because it just burns up when it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere.

4.  In A.I. news:  A study found we change our voice when talking to Alexa and Siri.  We tend to talk slower, and LOUDER.

Also, a study at M.I.T. found that if A.I. ever replaces judges, it might throw the book at you.  It doesn’t like it when we break the rules, and might hand out stiffer penalties than humans.

5.  And in bug news:  A study found that the type of soap you’re using could attract more mosquitos.  They found that some soaps make us more likely to get bit, but there’s one ingredient mosquitos hate.  If you want to avoid them, go with a coconut-scented soap.