Older people tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age, and in general they are satisfied with the aging process. Research by U-M psychologist Jacqui Smith also reveals that people who feel younger live longer than those who don’t.

Having a husband creates an extra seven hours a week of housework for women, according to a U-M study of a nationally representative sample of U.S. families. For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

A six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat would gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time. That’s the Army’s concept, and it has awarded the University of Michigan College of Engineering a five-year, $10-million grant to help make it happen.

Dr. Oveta Fuller is a respected researcher in microbiology and immunology, an expert on viral infections. But her most vital work takes place outside the lab, when she combines her scientific knowledge with faith. Turns out that one of her most effective weapons against AIDS is the fact that she’s not only a scientist, but a pastor.

Blacks with mental disorders often find comfort from their family and friends, but this support may result in them avoiding professional help. U-M’s Robert Taylor says his study suggests “the presence of a strong social fabric that may buffer individuals from mental health problems.”