What your smartphone germs say about you

The molecules you leave behind on your phone can tell researchers exactly who you are

Keep your phone clean.
(Image credit: Photo Illustration | Images courtesy iStock)

You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their phone. The make and model might say something about their income bracket. Their case could be a fashion statement. And a cracked screen could mean you're dealing with a clumsy butterfingers.

But all of this is based purely on aesthetics. Now, researchers are zooming in — way in. By analyzing the molecules left on the surface of a phone, scientists at the University of California, San Diego discovered they could create an accurate lifestyle sketch of the phone's owner. How accurate? They can determine the person's gender, diet, and even any recurring medical conditions, simply by examining the molecules on the phone, according to a paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Hallie Golden

Hallie Golden is a freelance journalist in Salt Lake City. Her articles have been published in such places as The New York Times, The Economist, and The Atlantic. She previously worked as a reporter for The Associated Press.