For anyone living in the U.S. in 2019, plastic is nearly impossible to avoid. But what many people don't know is that we're doing more than just using plastic. We're ingesting it, too. When you eat a bite of food or even have a sip of water, you're almost certainly taking in tiny plastic particles along with it. Because research into microplastics is so new, there’s not yet enough data to say exactly how they’re affecting human health, says Jodi Flaws, a professor of comparative biosciences and associate director of the Interdisciplinary Environmental Toxicology Program at the University of Illinois. The article in Consumer Reports includes six tips to reduce your exposure to plastic.

Illinois News Bureau – Just as humans are usually left- or right-handed, other species sometimes prefer one appendage, or eye, over the other. A new study reveals that American robins that preferentially use one eye significantly more than the other when looking at their own clutch of eggs are also more likely to detect, and reject, a foreign egg placed in their nest by another bird species – or by a devious scientist. Mark Hauber, a professor of evolution, ecology and behavior at Illinois, led the research.

Illinois News Bureau – Student-athletes need the help of coaches and educators to perceive themselves as scholars as well as athletes, according to a study led by Illinois geology and microbiology professor Bruce Fouke.