The soap you use could be a factor in attracting mosquitoes: Certain scents and chemicals found in soaps can make some people more appealing to mosquito bites than others, according to a recent study cited by the Wall Street Journal. Prior studies have established that a person’s body odor might either make mosquitoes more or less attracted to them and certain peoples’ inherent attraction to bugs appeared to be amplified by the fragrances of some soaps.

Specific scents and ingredients can be used to create effective mosquito repellents and attractants: Researchers created chemical mixtures that they believed would either attract or repel mosquitos and found that more than 95% of mosquitoes chose the blend designed to attract them, versus a nylon sleeve carrying natural human odor. The extent to which soap affected a person’s attractiveness to mosquitoes varied in the study, which suggests that they are attracted to the combination of chemical scents and natural body odors, one of the study’s co-authors said.

Feeling stupid in a world of “smart” acronyms? Let’s agree that some abbreviations actually hinder communication: In a world where people’s attention span is increasingly shorter, it makes sense to use acronyms like the Cares Act in lieu of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Pilita Clark writes in the Financial Times. This not only facilitates conversations, but also helps make lasting, memorable impressions in contexts like Capitol Hill, where the alienating effects of tediousness can have important implications.

But where does it stop? While these “backronyms” invite clarity and “catchiness” to otherwise long and unimaginative titles, most acronyms have a counterproductive effect, Clark says. For instance, when referring to a PPP, what exactly do we mean by that? Is it purchasing power parity or public-private partnerships? Rather than advancing understanding, some of these alleged shortcuts are ineffective because “anything that requires an explanation inhibits communication,” Clark quotes Elon Musk as saying.

It wasn’t always like that. Abbreviations were first introduced for a reason. Back in Ancient Rome, during the lifetime of Cicero, the Senatus PopulusQue Romanus — the senate and people of Rome — was simply referred to as SPQR. And it’s not hard to see why. The issue arises, however, when acronyms are overused to the point of blurring meaning. Areas where acronyms are particularly tiresome are fields like those of climate finance or crypto — a feat that can be alienating and excluding in fields that people are only beginning to understand.

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