These are the ten most-read stories from news.byu.edu in 2009. The year at BYU saw termites as construction partners, power generated from sugar and weed killer, and more award-winning student films.
10. Video games linked to poor relationships with friends, family
Love the findings or hate them, a BYU study connected use of video games to poorer relationships. The big question is which comes first.
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9. How termites help build structures
Normally known for destroying buildings, termites became partners with BYU student engineers in an innovative humanitarian project in Mozambique.
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8. Top recruit powers Cougar ‘mathletes’ to top-25 finish
A former high school national math champ propelled BYU's math squad to national prominence in a grueling exam that left half the competitors scoreless.
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7. Sugar + weed killer = potential clean energy source
A spoonful of herbicide helps the sugar break down in a most delightful way, thanks to researchers from BYU.
Read more from the Deseret News
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6. Students produce opening credits to film festival
Graphic design students chose a theme based on the five senses and made letters out of Jell-O, squash, laser-cut food and purple fur.
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5. ORCA grants: Six of the coolest new student projects
This year’s student research grants sponsored some intriguing projects: sleuthing the origin of a Museum of Art painting, analyzing the stock market’s response to presidential elections, and drawing inspiration from lady bugs to design tiny airplane wings.
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4. Bankrupcy rates reflect policy, not people
BYU economists pinpointed why bankruptcy is so common in Utah and why bankruptcy rates are so different from state to state.
Watch piggy banks get smashed during the story's photo shoot
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3. Cleanliness IS next to godliness
A BYU study showed that clean smells unconsciously make us more generous and fair. All it takes is a few spritzes of citrus-scented Windex.
Read more from Time magazine ________________________________________________________
2. Babies understand dogs, research finds
This story has it all: babies, dogs and BYU undergrads. The undergrads co-authored the study and punched their ticket to great graduate programs.
Watch comedian Jimmy Kimmel give the unofficial explanation
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1. BYU animators pick up two more 'Student Emmys'
The student-produed films "Kites" and "Pajama Gladiator" finished first and second this year. That makes a total of nine awards in the past six years.
