Watching any football lately? For aficionados, there’s little doubt that the game has never been played at such brain-rattling levels. Now, coming to the rescue of players’ white matter comes … the fruit fly. A gnat-ish insect is helping to protect even the most massive athletes.

Before getting into the brain-banging details, it’s vital to give a shout-out to fruit flies, primarily Drosophila melanogaster, the turn-to species for scientists.