7 times Imperial made you double-take in 2019

Some surprise headlines need a second look, but quirky studies can often have a significant impact. From singing fish to anti-malarial soup, we take a look back at the stories which made readers do a double-take in 2019. Grandma's miracle soup. In November, schoolchildren from London found their traditional family soups had antimalarial properties. Researchers from Imperial helped the schoolchildren test their clear homemade broths, originating from all over the world, and found that several of them showed activity against the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The test was designed to engage children in the idea that evidence is the difference between natural remedies and modern medicine. Now researchers hope that this study may lead to discovering new anti-malarial compounds. Read more: Scientists and schoolkids find family soups have antimalarial properties - Digital design. Around 1 in 500 babies worldwide are born with additional fingers or toes, a condition called polydactyly. This is usually considered a 'birth defect' and the extra digits are surgically removed shortly after birth. But in June, researchers, as part of an international team, published findings that showed how the brain and body successfully compensate for the additional workload. The extra digits corresponded to additional brain regions in the motor cortex. These findings could improve robotics and prosthetics by allowing researchers to tap into the brain's resources. Read more: Could extra finger 'birth defect' provide blueprint for robotic extra limbs?