EUREKA!

[NEW FINDINGS AND RESEARCH]

Giraffe SpottingPattern-recognition softwaredoes the trick.

>>> Teams of scientists coordinated by environmental studies professor Douglas Bolger spent May and June in Tanzania photographing every Masai giraffe they could find. Because each giraffe has unique spots, the animals can be counted using pattern-matching software developed at Dartmouth. This methodology eliminates any need to capture the animals. Biologists suspect herds are in decline but until now have had no reliable data.

Cause of DeathSuicide rate linked to foreclosures.

>>> The home foreclosure crisis contributed to a jump in the nation's suicide rate, according to sociology professor Jason Houle. "Foreclosures are a unique suicide risk for home- owners 46 to 64 years old. They're nearing retirement age, so losing assets is likely to have a profound effect on mental health," he says. Houle analyzed statistics from 2005 to 2010, a period that saw 14 million foreclosures—and a 13-percent spike in suicides.

Attention!Exercise builds focus.

>>> Twelve minutes of acute exercise daily increases the selective visual attention scores and reading comprehension abilities for students 17 to 21 years old, according to education professor Michele Tine. A single, brief session of exercise improves concentration in the short term—and helps offset the stress of chronic poverty experienced by students from low- income households.