The Download: monkey names, and smart masks for health monitoring

The news: Do animals have names? It seems so, after new research appears to have discovered that small monkeys called marmosets “vocally label” their monkey friends with specific sounds.

How they did it: The team used audio recorders and pattern-recognition software to analyze the animals’ high-pitched chirps and twitters. To prove they’d cracked the monkey code—and learned the secret names—the team played recordings at the marmosets through a speaker and found they responded more often when their label, or name, was in the recording.

Why it matters: Until now, only humans, dolphins, elephants, and probably parrots had been known to use specific sounds to call out to other individuals. This sort of research could provide clues to the origins of human language, arguably the most powerful innovation in our species’ evolution. Read the full story.

—Antonio Regalado

A new smart mask analyzes your breath to monitor your health

Your breath can give away a lot about you. Each exhalation contains all sorts of compounds, including possible biomarkers for disease or lung conditions, that could give doctors a valuable insight into your health.

Now a new smart mask could help doctors check your breath for these signals continuously and in a noninvasive way. A patient could wear the mask at home, measure their own levels, and then go to the doctor if a flare-up is likely. Read the full story.

—Scott J Mulligan