Back in the good old days, before technology ruined everything, a kid could smush his vegetables around the dinner plate and plausibly expect his parents to be fooled into thinking that the served concoction of boiled corn and lima beans ("succotash," we called it) had been eaten.

Perhaps no more, thanks to some researchers at Yale University who have created a laser device that measures fruit and vegetable consumption by scanning the palm of the hand. The device tracks changes in skin levels of carotenoids — organic pigments that can only be obtained through eating fruits and veggies.

"Our earlier studies demonstrated a correlation between skin carotenoids and fruit and vegetable intake," said co-author Susan T. Mayne, professor of epidemiology and the device's developer. "This new paper demonstrates that the biomarker was sensitive to changes in fruit and vegetable intake in the intervention setting. Many diet interventions lack objective verification that subjects actually changed intake; this research demonstrates that skin carotenoids can serve that purpose."

In other words, future moms may be able to take a quick scan of your hand to find out whether you're eating those leftover Brussels sprouts she's been sticking in your school lunchbox. The scan is reportedly painless; the sprouts maybe not so much.

Body of Knowledge

A cough can be expelled at 60 miles per hour, but sneezes really break the law, reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph.

Life in Big Macs

One hour of cleaning rain gutters burns 340 calories (based on a 150-pound person), or the equivalent of half a Big Mac. However, if you skip the burger, you can celebrate finishing the chore with the caloric equivalent of 4.3 glasses of wine.

Mania of the Week

Rhinotillexomania: compulsive nose picking.

Never Say Diet

The speed-eating record for a whole turkey is 5.25 pounds in 10 minutes, held by Sonya Thomas. Warning: Most of these records are held by professional eaters; the rest are held by people who really should find something better to do.

Observation

"You're in pretty good shape for the shape you are in." — Dr. Seuss

Medical History

This week in 1985, a successful heart transplant to a 4-day-old infant, Eddie Anguiano, known then as Baby Moses, was performed by Dr. Leonard Lee Bailey at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Eddie had been born with a fatal heart defect and had only days to live. The heart of a brain-dead baby became available. His was the third such transplant attempted. The previous two were unsuccessful, but Eddie thrived.

Epitaphs

"Here lies Ann Mann,

Who lived an old maid

But died an old Mann."

That is on a London tombstone dated Dec. 8, 1767.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.