A Boston University researcher has identified one of the major causes of childhood asthma: dead cockroaches. His research methodology is almost as nasty as the findings: go to the public housing projects in Detroit with a vacuum cleaner and collect data.

“We collected house dust — big dust bunnies — added water, let them mix overnight, and spun the junk out of them, until we had extract,” said Dr. Remick.

The extract was filled with proteins from Blattella germanica — the common cockroach — whose exoskeletons and droppings become airborne after death.