# 33: Science Highlights Daily | 2018-09-19

This is a curated articles about the latest discoveries in science and interesting articles tackling technology and society.

Dance flies attract males with their hairy legs and inflatable sacs: Chris Simms

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It’s usually males that go out of their way to attract a mate – but for dance flies it’s the females that dress to impress

Mosquitoes are eating plastic and spreading it to new food chains: Yvaine Ye

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Aquatic mosquito larvae eat plastic in the water and retain it when they become flies – meaning the plastic ends up in the birds that eat mosquitoes

The whiff of sandalwood makes the human head sprout more hair: Yvaine Ye

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Your scalp can "smell" things - and when it detects synthetic sandalwood, the rate of hair growth increases

SpaceX’s billionaire moon trip is all about building a luxury brand: Leah Crane

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The first passengers to fly to the moon on SpaceX’s BFR rocket will be artists, in an effort to widen the company's appeal beyond governments and satellite firms

Quantum mechanics may contradict itself when applied to big objects: Anil Ananthaswamy

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Standard quantum theory explains the behaviour of microscopic things like electrons and atoms. It should also, in principle apply to larger objects – but it might not

Revealed: What the UK public really thinks about the future of science: Graham Lawton

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The 2018 New Scientist Asks the Public survey reveals that people are well-informed about science and technology, but politicians are ignoring their hopes and fears

Artificial genes show life does not have to be based on DNA: Michael Marshall

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Two modified versions of DNA add different “letters” to life’s genetic code but still work just as well as the original

A third of us would go one-way to Mars – but it may shrink your brain: Clare Wilson

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New Scientist Asks the Public has revealed that 40 per cent of men want to go to Mars, but new evidence suggests the lengthy trip may be bad for your brain

Why wouldn’t you want to live forever? New Scientist editors debate:

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More than half of UK adults would turn down an offer of immortality. Emily Wilson doesn’t understand why – but Richard Webb certainly does

Only one in five UK adults would choose to live forever if they could: Graham Lawton

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New Scientist Asks the Public has revealed that only 21 per cent of people would be keen to become immortal, should it ever become scientifically possible