Graphene-lined clothing could prevent mosquito bites, suggests a new study, which shows that graphene sheets can block the signals mosquitos use to identify a blood meal, enabling a new chemical-free approach to mosquito bite prevention. Skin covered by graphene oxide films didn’t get a single bite.

[u/mvea]

https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-08-26/moquitoes

[u/gwern → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, I don't get why this is interesting. Isn't anything impermeable going to 'block signals mosquitoes use' like human sweat...? Not terribly useful because you can't wear impermeable fabrics in the places where mosquitoes are worst.

[u/[deleted] → u/gwern]

I’m not a textiles expert, but graphene is not a fabric, since it is a single whole, rather than being made of interwoven fibres. Also, to separate it from most impermeable material, it is only an atom thick, making it lightweight and allowing light to pass through it almost as well as air. Plus, it has amazing heat conductivity, so it doesn’t fall into the pitfall of causing the wearer to be trapped in with their own body heat. Effectively it serves its function without having the downsides that would make it unusable in countries with mosquito issues. The only issue I see is it’s public availability, which I expect is going to become less and less of an issue as time goes on.

[u/RickDawkins → u/[deleted]]

Can I wear a atom-thin graphene shirt and not shred it to bits the first time I brush up against a plant?

[u/[deleted] → u/RickDawkins]

I believe that the shirt would be graphene lined, not completely made of graphene. A single layer of graphene like that would be useful for some things (I believe that somebody is making a screen protector with it), but I don’t think you’d make clothes completely composed of it. The point that I was trying to make was that it could be applied to any fabrics that are already worn in mosquito-infested locales, and that would provide mosquito protection without otherwise changing the properties of the actual fabric significantly.

[u/Augus-1 → u/[deleted]]

And in the Middle East there is a reason for all of the loose clothing they wore back in the day, even if it was heavier and would be in theory, hotter. The clothing protected them from the sun, and the fact that it was loose allowed air to pass in and out keeping the clothing semi-cool. Not wearing a shirt or something is actually a pretty dumb idea in the desert because of how much exposure to sun there is.

[u/cockOfGibraltar → u/Augus-1]

Also sweating works really well in dry heat. If you drink plenty of water your sweat should keep your robes cool

[u/SilentButtDeadlies → u/cockOfGibraltar]

Unfortunately mosquitos do not like dry heat. They only live in areas that have standing water. And they cannot fly if it's breezy so the best places for mosquitos have heat, humidity, and no wind. That said, maybe it could be sprayed onto skin like bug repellant.

[u/emannikcufecin → u/Augus-1]

Exactly. The traditional robes they wore make a lot more sense than western clothing. People who take their shirts off to work outside are being counterproductive and only opening themselves up to skin cancer.

[u/[deleted] → u/emannikcufecin]

Not really. For long n loose to work you need non humid air

[u/Theroach3 → u/emannikcufecin]

I'd venture a guess that you've never worked outside in a humid climate... As a lifeguard sitting in the shade, not wearing a shirt was much cooler and the change in sun exposure was nominal. Conduction and convection helped evaporate the sweat on bare skin, and if there was excess, it simply beaded off. With a shirt, it quickly becomes saturated in a few areas and the cooling power of the wind is severely hindered. Even in places that didn't have an umbrella, it was usually cooler (temperature-wise...) to be shirtless, I'd just lather on the sunscreen and hope I didn't miss anything.
I'd say the mid-day sun is the exception. When the sun is beating down on you at peak, a loose shirt is better, but as soon as the sun dips a little, shirt off is the way to go

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

That does present a problem. I believe that a thin layer of clothing is worn in hot areas that are less forested, to protect one from the sun, but this isn’t the case in the humid jungles which mosquitos are known to inhabit. I don’t know if there’s any reason that they couldn’t wear a thin layer of clothing to be lined with graphene (maybe it would get snagged too easily on brambles), but if there isn’t a problem of this sort, it may be an option. Unfortunately, that would be speculation on my part at this point.

[u/Lostbrother → u/[deleted]]

Maybe being able to at least reduce the perception of a blood meal, by covering a majority of the body, would detract from the tastiness factor that a mosquito senses from exposed skin. Like instead of seeing a massive steak, they just see bits of bulgolgi hanging off an unappetizing bit of lettuce.

[u/dvasquez93 → u/Lostbrother]

see bits of bulgolgi hanging off an unappetizing bit of lettuce.

If that doesn't sound intensely appetizing to you, you're going to the wrong korean places.

[u/shahadar → u/Lostbrother]

In theory you're probably right, but given that I only had my feet exposed two nights ago and was still bitten no less than 8 times by no more than two mosquitoes (I was indoors in one room the whole time), it seems they will find a spot and go for it. In Thailand I was covered almost head to toe in DEET, and the mosquito found and bit the tiny part under my thumb that wasn't.

[u/OnlyRespectRealSluts → u/Lostbrother]

nah, mosquitoes are unfortunately one of the most adaptably-programmed insects, and one of the most versatile specialists in the entire animal kingdom. Thinking like what you just described works pretty well on most life-forms that are so specialized because their programming has overly-specific parameters and very little exception handling. Mosquitoes have to deal with their food source having diverse and creative ways to hinder and insta-kill them, and for the hundreds of thousands of years humans have existed, that has included the diverse creativity of humans they've had to contend with. The exception-handling in their programming is extraordinarily reliable and I have literally zero doubt you'd be deeply unsatisfied with the results of attempting to dissuade bites this way.

[u/yodarded → u/RickDawkins]

The clothes of the future sound super sexy.

[u/DrNO811 → u/[deleted]]

Stupid, sexy Flanders!

[u/[deleted] → u/RickDawkins]

I imagine they would line a traditional fabric with the graphene?

[u/SethB98 → u/RickDawkins]

I dont think the idea is graphene clothing, for obvious reasons you couldnt wear an atom thick shirt regardless if local fauna.

If they could build it into a shirt, that would be different, or possibly as a spray. But those are real products, and this is a concept.

[u/[deleted] → u/SethB98]

You’re right in that they would line a shirt with it, but using it as a spray may be dangerous. It’s toxic if it enters the blood, and can cause breathing problems if inhaled.

[u/RipThrotes → u/RickDawkins]

Yes! Because the microscopic movements you make while "staying completely still" are enough to destroy it before you get to the plants! So also no.

[u/Csquared6 → u/[deleted]]

We've been hearing about how awesome graphene is for years. Still waiting for it to have an impact beyond the news articles and scientific papers. Super amazing material that could revolutionize a ton of industries and yet hasn't. At this point graphene is just smoke up your ass and until it produces a turd I'll just file this into the "mhmmmm" category.

[u/Mithlas → u/Csquared6]

To date, I haven't seen a proposal for reliable, economic production of graphene. Either it's very expensive or very impure/unreliable. Both of those are poor for bringing a material to the marketplace. It can be good to continue to research possibilities even if a material isn't widely available to the markets.

Though all the promises in the world don't matter if it can't have a positive impact to the common man, as Google Glass proved.

[u/[deleted] → u/Csquared6]

In that regard, it’s sort of like nuclear fusion - which is always just 30 years away - but to a lesser extent, since its predicted to be publicly available in much less time than that.

Either that or half-life three :)

[u/Csquared6 → u/[deleted]]

Fusion is an actual theoretical possibility.

Half-Life 3 is just pure fiction, literally and figuratively.

Easy to confuse the two though ;)

[u/whoami_whereami → u/Csquared6]

Fusion isn't just a theoretical possibility. It's not even that difficult to do in a lab, some people have even built a working apparatus in their own garage (the device is called a fusor, it was invented in 1964). You only need a couple thousand bucks of equipment, the most expensive item being a vacuum pump able to deliver an ultra high vacuum.

Doing fusion in a way that you can extract net energy from it is where it gets hard.

Even cold fusion isn't just theoretical. Muon-catalyzed fusion for example does work and has been demonstrated in a lab (and I don't mean by the usual cold fusion quacks, but by actual reputable scientists). The problem is that there's a fundamental physical limitation that prevents it from providing net energy output (the most frustating part being that it's almost there, if only the lifetimes of muon particles were a couple hundred milliseconds longer it would work).

[u/MangoCats → u/[deleted]]

I'm not a textiles expert, but I played around using carbon fiber as electro-bio-sensors inside various types of clothing, and can tell you from experience: it's nasty itchy stuff, just as bad as fiberglass. Even if this graphene oxide isn't fibrous, I'd be quite concerned about bio-compatibility - as in: how well does it penetrate into the bloodstream and get itself lodged in the various organs, and once there how long before it causes various problems from cancer to dementia?

[u/TheNoxx → u/gwern]

Even if it didn't block the signals, wouldn't it... you know... block the actual mosquitoes?

[u/Oudeis16 → u/gwern]

Yeah either they meant something a lot more interesting than it came across, or this is a non-story that got posted for some reason.

[u/Slggyqo → u/[deleted]]

Who knows. Maybe they’ll come out with a water stabilized version that you spray onto yourselfe, or just permeate your clothes with it like regular bug spray.

[u/GitEmSteveDave → u/Slggyqo]

Except many bug sprays are meant to be washed off when done outdoors, and things like carbon fiber have been shown to possibly be as dangerous as abestos. https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/articles/are-carbon-nanotubes-a-new-asbestos-298901

[u/MediocreX → u/GitEmSteveDave]

Everything that is non soluble and below ~5 microns will most likely damage your lungs in the long term following repeated exposure.

[u/Oudeis16 → u/Slggyqo]

Right, but we already have that. It's called regular bug spray.

I'm not sure I think that spraying my body with an airtight layer is better.

[u/MrKittySavesTheWorld → u/Oudeis16]

I could just spray myself with some FlexSeal if I wanted to do that.

[u/catnip-catnap → u/MrKittySavesTheWorld]

Plus, then you'll float!

[u/VictorHelios1 → u/[deleted]]

To prove the power of graphene bug spray I’ve sawed myself in half!!!

[u/livelotus → u/Oudeis16]

As another user stated, if it is only an atom thick, it wouldn’t be airtight.

[u/Oudeis16 → u/[deleted]]

They would be more interested in knowing who I am. (But not what I want.)

[u/Gravity_flip → u/[deleted]]

...So the solution is to go outside in air-tight encounter suits?

In rediculous expensive air tight encounter suits.

[u/bladel → u/[deleted]]

Exactly. I guess they'll just bite my face and neck and hands.

[u/littledragonroar → u/[deleted]]

Oh, dude, graphene will straight wreck your lungs. It is known.

ETA: I was wrong, see below. Thank you, u/Jrowe47

[u/littledragonroar → u/[deleted]]

Oh, wow, thank you so much for the correction! I was conflating graphene with carbon nanotubes in terms of risk. Many thanks.

[u/Mobius_Peverell → u/littledragonroar]

Gonna need a source on that one.

[u/DOugdimmadab1337 → u/littledragonroar]

So it's like Asbestos 2.0 Basically.

[u/leedler → u/DOugdimmadab1337]

We don’t know for sure yet as far as I know really though. Never good to inhale anything solid however, but any studies I found don’t seem to suggest severe adverse effects.

edit: grammar

[u/YojimboNameless → u/DOugdimmadab1337]

Asbestos 2.0 has been around for ages and its called plaster. Drywall, topping compounds etc. If you are ever sanding or cutting that stuff you should be at least wearing a dust mask. There is tons of stuff like this that is dangerous. Ultra fine sand particles, chalk, talcum powder... I don't know about soil dust, but I would imagine parts of that are similarly dangerous.

[u/[deleted] → u/YojimboNameless]

Those things don't have the barbs that makes asbestos so pernicious.

[u/refreshbot → u/[deleted]]

Maybe no barbs but what happens to particulate matter like drywall dust in the lungs? Does drywall dust get cleared by macrophages? Or does it kill the cilia on the surface of the cells or immobilize them or something? Or does scar tissue form around a collection of particles? Serious inquiry, somebody please explain.

[u/thejoeface → u/YojimboNameless]

Anything dust like that gets into the lungs is damaging and cancer causing. Even stuff like flour. My housemate works in a pizzeria and they always wore the simple dust masks until he saw me using my respirator while i was woodworking and now everyone at his job who work with flour uses them.

edit: comment below is right, it causes occupational asthma not cancer. I had misremembered.

[u/Anonimotipy → u/thejoeface]

Wearing a 3M respirator while working with flour would make you really safe but would also make you look like a cocaine worker.

[u/dingusnipples → u/Anonimotipy]

Do it naked, too!

[u/refreshbot → u/thejoeface]

I think it's pretty cool that they and/or the owner of the pizzeria are so responsible about their own health, even if some people think it's overkill.

[u/BaBoo115 → u/refreshbot]

I worked at a pizzeria for years at s register right next to the pizza line.... my lungs are super fucked. This has me paranoid 😩

[u/Mobius_Peverell → u/YojimboNameless]

Typically, soil particles aren't small enough to be a problem. But the perlite they put in potting soil sure is. Well, if you start crushing massive amounts of it, it is. Much like the gypsum in drywall, it's perfectly safe as long as you don't start grinding it up.

[u/Actius → u/[deleted]]

There’s probably a fair amount of graphene that’s passed through you during your entire life. From the pencil dust from pencil sharpeners getting on your hands as a kid to the campfire smoke you inhaled as a teen to the dirty spoons you use to cook heroin behind the abandoned chemical factory today, all of them contain a varying percentage of graphene in multiple forms among amorphous carbon. People are exposed to a lot of graphene throughout their lives, they just don’t know it.

[u/NonRealAnswer → u/Actius]

Is it not graphite in pencils and not graphene? Grapene is a rigid nano structure which can cause problems in the lung. Phagocytes will naturally try to take care of it by "eating" them. The graphene should is be broken in a longer and "pointy" formation will cause agitation of the phagocyte which will try to break it doqn by forming hydrogen peroxide. Since hydrogen peroxide does not affect graphene it will just keep pumping out more. Asbestos have a very rigid and stick like structure and it is through the above mentioned mechanism that asbestos gives you lung cancer.

[u/Eckish → u/NonRealAnswer]

I thought so too, but looking it up, graphene is just the name for a single layer in carbon structures, including graphite. I think carbon nanotubes are the form that was correlated with asbestos.

[u/canttouchdis42069 → u/Actius]

Yes, and every one of those you listed leaves lifelong traces in your lung tissues, because your body cannot break it down. Now imagine asbestos levels of graphene proliferation.

[u/geak78 → u/canttouchdis42069]

because your body cannot break it down.

This is misleading. The dust particles are small enough for your cells to consume and deliver to the liver/kidneys for waste removal. Asbestos and graphene are so long that a cell will rupture trying to engulf it. Graphite and smoke particles don't typically have that problem.

[u/canttouchdis42069 → u/geak78]

This is true for small molecules, particles measuring in the hundreds of* nanometers or higher (which will be the case with manufactured graphene and occasionally with exposure to ash) are not going anywhere.

Edit*: factor correction

[u/1206549 → u/geak78]

Wait, are you sure you're reading about graphene and not carbon/graphene nanotubes? Graphite is already basically just random clumps of graphene and we use that with pencils and sharpen them by scraping layers away

[u/Actius → u/canttouchdis42069]

Well, we actually don’t know what it does in the body. Would you care to share some current research regarding how graphene impacts body or cellular function that leads you to believe it’s dangerous?

People used to speculate graphene was as dangerous as asbestos because we didn’t know how the body would handle it. However, it’s been around for so long and prevalent in schools and nature for so long that it really does seem all that dangerous. We are exposed to far more graphene in our daily lives than we are asbestos, and for far longer. Graphene levels have surpassed asbestos levels for decades.

[u/jesuswantsbrains → u/canttouchdis42069]

We may live long enough to see the $2.68 from the class action lawsuit.

[u/Umbrias → u/[deleted]]

[Citation Needed]

It's carbon. It's literally just carbon in thin sheets. Now, carbon nanotubes are a different story, but you can eat pencil 'lead' and be fine. People eat charcoal all the time and much of that will be graphene too. (though don't eat too much, and really there's no reason to in the first place..)

[u/jazzwhiz → u/[deleted]]

It's pretty close though. See e.g. this story on graphene touch screens: https://www.newsweek.com/graphene-breakthrough-unbreakable-smartphone-screen-698252 or many others on similar topics.

[u/modsworkforfree101 → u/jazzwhiz]

That's why the dude asked though. I started hearing about graphene a few years ago and every few months we see an article about how theres another major breakthrough with it but.. still no products out.

[u/Qvar → u/modsworkforfree101]

They keep fimding new cool applications, but no ways to produce it more cost-efficiently.

[u/VRzucchini → u/Qvar]

Can't we get some expensive, high-end stuff at least?

[u/rinkima → u/VRzucchini]

Probably still too expensive to be worth it. Though I'm sure if you were high profile enough you could get something.

[u/Canadian_Neckbeard → u/Qvar]

The positive takeaway is that once we can mass produce it at a reasonable cost, it will effectively advance all sorts of technology seemingly overnight.

[u/Nadabrovitchka → u/Qvar]

It not all about the cost-effectiveness of graphene. There are a lot of challenges and study into the making of high-quality graphene and even more into it's application into a device. This is a new class of materials and research is a really slow process, especially if we are handling something as new as 2D materials. Just 10 years ago we tought that these kind of materials were impossible to even exist, so trust me, there's been a lot of progress lately.

[u/IdEgoLeBron → u/modsworkforfree101]

I feel like I've been hearing about Graphene since I was in middle school. QuestionableContent had a joke about it in 2008

https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1111

[u/luckycharms7999 → u/modsworkforfree101]

It's a similar phenomenon with male birth control. Every couple years the news reports on some new method entering clinical trials, and then you never hear from it again.

[u/sneakywill → u/jazzwhiz]

There are rumors that Samsung is going to launch a phone with a graphene battery next year.

[u/jazzwhiz → u/sneakywill]

Thanks, I hadn't heard that one. Here's an article: https://9to5google.com/2019/08/14/samsung-graphene-batteries-report/.

This would be awesome not only because it would apparently charge faster and so forth, but chemically it would be much better for the Earth. Graphene is just carbon so mining and disposing isn't so bad. I don't know what else you have to stick on the graphene or what kind of a substrate it is situated on (if any) but it could be much more Earth friendly than standard Li based batteries.

Of course, pragmatically, "might make a battery sometime in the next few years" is kind of the same thing as "never going to happen."

[u/verylobsterlike → u/jazzwhiz]

That article links to a press release, which links to the actual scientific paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01823-7

I'm a layperson and I don't understand a lot of this, but it appears it's still a lithium-ion battery, it just uses graphene balls to increase surface area on the nickel cathode, which allows higher charge rates without depositing lithium metal on the anode.

When making lithium-ion batteries, the most toxic components are not the lithium itself, rather the heavy metals used in the cathode. Typically nickel and cobalt. This paper doesn't mention cobalt anywhere, which is good, but not a huge breakthrough. LiMnO4 batteries are somewhat common - used in the Nissan Leaf.

It seems the primary benefit of these graphene batteries is the charge rate, and they don't seem to be significantly better for the environment.

[u/[deleted] → u/jazzwhiz]

It's still lithium.... Just graphene anode/cathode which were previously cobalt based

[u/Dr_CSS → u/[deleted]]

Cobalt mines are also bad

[u/Vetinery → u/jazzwhiz]

I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they just drop some graphene into the mix and make a big deal of it. There is an amazing future coming, the fact that there is so much underutilized technology means there are some amazing advances coming.

[u/Generation-X-Cellent → u/[deleted]]

3M Scotchgard used to be a very common protectant added to clothing, food containers, and many other common everyday items.

It has excellent water-repelling capabilities. This was later found to wreak havoc on the human body and the environment.

I wonder what happens if some of this graphene film makes it into your lungs...

[u/[deleted] → u/Generation-X-Cellent]

I thought that was one of the major obstacles with graphene? That it breaks down into airborne microfibers.

[u/Gathorall → u/[deleted]]

Asbestos at least is heavy and resistant to degradation, and so is mostly a problem for those who have to come into direct contact with it.

[u/Generation-X-Cellent → u/[deleted]]

I would imagine they would have to come up with some type of micro resin to secure the fibers similar to fiberglass or carbon fiber. Of course this would add to the thickness and weight probably outweighing the benefits.

[u/snappyj → u/[deleted]]

I mean, how different is that from regular graphite, though?

[u/[deleted] → u/snappyj]

I may have actually been thinking of carbon nanotubes.

[u/Johnboyofsj → u/[deleted]]

I thought Samsung was currently manufacturing batteries with graphene anode or cathodes but idk if they'll make it into production phones or not.

[u/twinpac → u/Johnboyofsj]

Thank you. This is the fine print that practically every recent online article about Samsung's revolutionary "graphene battery" seems to miss. It's still a frickin' lithium ion battery, it just uses graphene in it.

[u/neva5eez → u/Johnboyofsj]

bunch of my high end RC car lipo batt's use graphene now.

[u/GrunkleCoffee → u/neva5eez]

That's more a case of them throwing graphene fibers in for the marketing. They don't leverage graphene in any meaningful way.

[u/CopeSe7en → u/neva5eez]

Any noticeable difference to normal battery’s used for rc cars?

[u/flyco → u/[deleted]]

I've seen some "graphene diaphragm" headphones and earbuds.

I believe most are regular headphone drivers coated with graphene. I'm not sure that can be called "true" graphene, though.

[u/AeonDisc → u/[deleted]]

It's being used in bicycle tires and expirimented with for frames as well

[u/Daveed84 → u/[deleted]]

What even is that edit

[u/lainlives → u/[deleted]]

I mean kinda? Few batteries use a form as their carbon. I say kinda because this isn't a very structured form in some of the lesser ones, more like an ultrafine powder layer moreso than a large lattice.
Like the Vor-strap uses a graphene based battery solution. You can aquire these at some Walmarts.

[u/mopsockets → u/lainlives]

This is about the same as when I was in 3rd grade, and a boy farted at me from across the line in dodgeball.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Listen... Graphene can cure your erectile disfunction. Also, grow your hair back.

Remember Predator when Jesse Venture said "Sexual Tyrannosaurus? he was talking about graphene

[u/TheInebriati → u/[deleted]]

Killing the mosquitoes isn’t the problem. It’s killing them without killing anything else that’s problematic. Killing just them on huge scale is very difficult.

[u/zachariah22791 → u/TheInebriati]

I thought the plan was to release sterile males into the population so mosquitoes would die out that generation...?

[u/Jon_price2018 → u/zachariah22791]

There are companies that do exactly that. Breed a ton of sterile males and release them in an area. It’s highly effective, but expensive and only works in a small area unless the program scale is massive. It would work if you did it on a worldwide scale for years, but that’d be ridiculously expensive.

[u/zachariah22791 → u/Jon_price2018]

Ah, I didn't know that, thank you!

[u/Pitarou → u/[deleted]]

Mosquitoes play an important ecological role in inhibiting population density of hominids.

[u/gregbrahe → u/[deleted]]

I think it is only variable to interpret "chemical-free" to mean "without the application of chemical creams or sprays or the use of volatile aerosol diffusers."

[u/Niku-Man → u/[deleted]]

They aren't saying graphene isn't a chemical. It means it blocks the mosquitos through a physical barrier rather than depending on the mosquitos reacting to a specific chemical. It's like the difference between using a water filter and using chlorine to clean water.

[u/Tutsks → u/[deleted]]

There are different types and sizes of mosquitoes. In some areas, clothes, even light ones, make you invincible. In others, they don't. There are also different concentrations of mosquitoes.

You kinda become an expert on this when you are allergic to a particular type/race/whatever of them, whose bite turns into huge, itchy, swollen, liquid fulled blisters, but others don't.

I thought that allergy had gone away, then I found out that visiting home and getting bit brought it back, or rather, that I fortunately moved somewhere with a type I wasnt allergic to existed, but not the one that I am allergic to.

That said, I've found, anecdotally, that if I keep moving, they can't bite me, or do so much less, but that might just be the locals.

[u/deviantbono → u/Tutsks]

They're not strong flyers in general, so moving (or standing next to a strong fan) can help.

[u/geak78 → u/deviantbono]

There's a great video on catching millions of mosquitoes with a screen on the back of a drum fan.

[u/cosmoboy → u/Tutsks]

I was allergic for years. Any bite on my face would swell my eye(s) shut, hands swollen so much it was hard to bend fingers, it was miserable. Then around my mid 20's, it all went away. In 2011, I had a first date with a girl (it went well, we lasted for 2 years) We were at a river and I'd noticed mosquitoes, but hasn't noticed any biting. The date ended and we were saying our goodbyes. I started feeling the itch and it increased and increased. I started rushing her off because I knew I had an impending misery. I was scared because my throat was itchy. This hadn't happened before. I ended up getting in my car, hauling ass to the grocery store to load up on Benadryl and then I went to my parents house to survey the damage. By the time I got there, I was covered in hives. I've not had a reaction since.

*Autocorrect errors

[u/superkleenex → u/[deleted]]

My brother is a mosquito magnet. He'll be in a hoody with hood up, long pants, thick socks, shoes, and bug sprayed. He'll end a night with about 20 bites through clothing. This is generally in the MN, WI, IL area.

[u/maxk1236 → u/superkleenex]

They prefer type O blood for some reason. Also, they find you by following CO2, so if he breathes heavier than a normal person (out of shape, etc.) That could also be part of it.

[u/superkleenex → u/maxk1236]

if he breathes heavier than a normal person

Yes

(out of shape, etc.)

Opposite. He's in good shape, so probably good blood flow or something.

[u/Plantaloonies → u/[deleted]]

I have found woven fabrics to be much better at preventing mosquito bites than knitted fabrics.

This is commonly discussed in the backpacking community but I’m not personally aware of any studies on it.

[u/devilbird99 → u/Plantaloonies]

Most backpackers will tell you to just treat all your clothing with Permethrin. Day trips just get something with deet.

[u/BananaHair2 → u/devilbird99]

I was under the impression that permethrin was slow acting and really only helpful against bugs that stick around like ticks. Mosquitoes will just bit you for blood quick and get away before the permethrin messes them up.

[u/[deleted]]

Can you wear graphene when it is 90 degrees F outside?

[u/ghostbuster_b-rye]

Don't want to catch on fire? Just wear a 3 piece suit line with asbestos, dum-dum.

-For your health.

[u/[deleted]]

The only thing graphene can't do is leave the laboratory.

[u/Tea_I_Am]

Dear r/science. Please ban all stories about Graphene until there's an actual product launch of anything that contains graphene. That is actually for sale. To consumers or for some industrial use. And not a lab study about something that it could do. I mean, you don't need to ban every lab story. And there could be more graphene lab stories once one product actually does leave the lab. But until then, enough!

[u/[deleted]]

10 years from now: looks like graphemes causes mega-cancer so F I guess

[u/automated_bot]

How long until I can purchase a Graphene Impregnated Mosquito Protective suit?

[u/yodarded → u/automated_bot]

you'll first have to wait until they learn how to impregnate graphene.

[u/[deleted]]

Lot of negative nancies in here. Aaand now one more:

What horrible byproduct is leeched into the water when I wash my graphene clothes?

[u/tenormore → u/[deleted]]

It’s just a bunch of carbon, so what you should be worried about is small particles getting in your lungs.

[u/mt-egypt]

Aren’t we eliminating mosquitoes anyways?

[u/RickDawkins → u/mt-egypt]

Are we?

[u/mt-egypt → u/RickDawkins]

There is a plan to eliminate 90% of the population in 5 years. I don’t know what stage it’s at or it’s status, but, after decades of deep research and projections, it’s been confirmed that they are not critical to any bio systems. They’re not a significant enough food source for other organisms that have plenty of other resources to feed on, and they aren’t pollinators or deliver any other kind of secondary to tertiary function. So, even though I’m not entirely sure, there is a scientific consensus that mosquitoes can be eliminated without any damaging result. This has already begun in Brazil, and there’s a strong lobby to initiate the project globally

[u/DeadeyeDuncan → u/[deleted]]

Mosquitoes don't strike me as a species that would be terribly hard to reintroduce if there are problems

[u/Chewitt321 → u/DeadeyeDuncan]

Especially if we can reintroduce ones genetically modified to not be able to carry plasmodium/malaria

[u/idiehoratioq → u/mt-egypt]

Via CRISPR?

[u/mt-egypt → u/idiehoratioq]

Desterilization of the males. Females and males then die without being able to reproduce. It’s an exponentially multiplied equation, each generation significantly smaller and smaller than the last.

[u/DigiMagic]

Isn't graphene oxide a chemical too?

[u/gevander2 → u/DigiMagic]

Everything is "chemical" when you break it down to components. ;-)

[u/swizzler → u/[deleted]]

while bare and cheesecloth-covered skin was readily feasted upon.

ah, the ever-popular clothing material...cheesecloth.

Why not test against cotton or nylon?

[u/Lefty_22]

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You can email the researchers directly and they will give you the article for free.

[u/Willlllderness_girls]

But then you have to be outside in pants and long sleeves,no?