I've read multiple articles on birds this week. Turns out, they're impressive.

Let's ignore their obvious superpower (flying) for a second. Japanese researchers just determined a crow's beak is better at picking up objects than any human-made tool.

Beak-inspired tweezers will now likely replace regular tweezers in many contexts, which is great news for those facing a never-ending battle with their unibrow (read: me).

Plus, German scientists just learned bird brains are more efficient than ours, requiring 3X less energy / neuron. Which means "bird brain" isn't just a lame insult - it's ironic too!

As always, please forward IQNEWS to a friend if you're a fan!

If you're pro crying babies, skip this story (and maybe do some soul searching). If you're ANTI crying babies, listen up - scientists just found the single most effective way to lull a bawling baby to sleep.

According to a recent study conducted at the Riken Centre for Brain Science in Japan, a two-step "walk-sit" approach is the sob-stopping ticket:

1. Hold the infant snugly against your body and walk for five minutes at a steady pace, avoiding abrupt stops or turns. The gentle motion lowers the baby’s heart rate and makes it sleepy.
2. After the stroll, sit for five minutes with the baby, who will now likely be asleep. Then, transfer it to its crib or other sleeping quarters.

What’s the science behind this sleep-inducing sorcery? For mammals, being carried by mom triggers a deeply soothing sensation in infants called the "transport response."

Ever seen a dog or cat pick up its young by the scruff of the neck and carry it around? Same phenomenon!

Researchers did, however, cite a key caveat in this study. When babies weren’t crying, walking with them didn’t have the same sleep-inducing effect. Why? Most likely, infants cry because they’re tired. If they aren't crying, they probably don't need a nap.

You board your flight and take your seat. So far, so good. Then comes the devastating blow: there's no seatback screen. What is this, 1950?!

It gets worse. There’s nowhere to prop up your phone so you can watch Yellowstone.

All's not lost, though - you can transform your barf bag into a smartphone mount!

Here’s how it works:

1. Remove your smartphone case.
2. Place the bottom of your seatback barf bag between the case and phone.
3. Snap the cover onto your phone to secure the bag.
4. Unlatch your tray table and fold the bag over the tray.
5. Re-latch your tray table.

Here's a video that shows the hack in action. Genius, right? Until you need your bag for its intended purpose, that is...

1. Dr. Seuss was super lucky to live in a day and age without autocorrect.
2. Somebody probably got their tattoo messed up by an earthquake.
3. The first time someone steals a spaceship is going to be epic.
4. Botox is a performance enhancing drug for poker.
5. The fact that there’s a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.

Thomas Watson: “If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”

Today I learned that hummingbirds have an exceptional memory due to their enlarged hippocampus. They remember exact locations of feeders and flowers. (more here)

sanguine [ sang-gwn ] - adjective
optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation
He is sanguine about the prospects for the global economy.

Q: Which popular condiment was formerly sold as medicine?
A: (see below next section)