It's nice to see that one of the staple plot devices of science fiction is actually true. Apparently, a trip to space can give you superpowers; at least if you're a cockroach.
According to Russian news agency Novosti, baby cockroaches conceived aboard a satellite in September have apparently grown up to be faster and tougher than their terrestrial brethren.
The first creatures ever conceived in space also grew more quickly than ordinary Earth-bred cockroaches.
Could these positive effects be due somehow to the effectively weightless environment during conception, or to a healthy dose of radiation?
The report does not reveal whether any of the 33 new super-roaches have yet attempted to destroy the Earth, or taken to writing free verse.
Nor are we told any details of how the conception took place, but perhaps it's a good thing that the world is denied a full account of free-fall cockroach sex.
Stephen Battersby, New Scientist correspondent