Roach escape routes.

• Position: BUGS - Brief article

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You might want to brush up on your geometry the next time you try to get rid of a cockroach. According to a recent study, these unloved insects choose one of several preferred angles when running from predators, human or otherwise, and that variability is enough to confound their attackers most of the time. Scientists at the National Research Institute of Italy measured how the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) responded to a threat stimulus. All of their test roaches acted similarly, running away at an angle from the direction of the threat. Although there was some variability, the researchers discovered that over repeated tests, the angle of escape ranged from about 90 degrees (at a right angle...