How scientists proved horses really can smell fear  January 16, 2026

 

Rise up, sunshine. Happy Friday, Fri-yay. I'm Coy Wire.

 

Welcome to CNN 10. I am packing my bags to cover the college football playoff national championship between the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers. So if you are down in the 305 and you see your guy, come say hi.

 

hoosier [ˈhuʒiɚ] n. Indiana 州的居民；乡巴佬

 

Now, let's get our minds right and finish this week strong.

 

Four astronauts are safely back on Earth after health concerns forced a rare early departure from the International Space Station or ISS. The Crew 11 astronauts successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean early Thursday about 10 hours after undocking from the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

 

undock 脱离; 驶离码头

 

It kept a week-long effort to get them home after NASA announced they were canceling an upcoming spacewalk due to an unnamed crew member's medical issue.

 

unnamed [ʌnˈnemd] adj. 未透露名字的; 不知其名的

 

On behalf of SpaceX and NASA, welcome home, Crew 11.

 

SpaceX Dragon, it's so good to be home. With deep gratitude to the teams who got us there and back.

 

The crew was all smiles as they exited the capsule, giving a thumbs up as they took their first steps after more than five months in space. They were taken to a nearby hospital for routine medical checks, which is common protocol due to the strenuous toll that reentry into the Earth's atmosphere takes on the body.

 

strenuous [ˈstrenjʊəs] adj. 繁重的; 剧烈的; 紧张的

 

Officials did not reveal what the medical concerns are for the unnamed astronaut, though they did say it was not due to an injury. They also said it's easier to examine them at a fully equipped medical facility back here on Earth.

 

Obviously, we took this action because it was a serious medical condition, right? So, you know, in that respect, it was a serious situation.

 

The astronaut in question is fine right now, good spirits and going through the proper, you know, the proper medical, the medical checkouts.

 

The early departure has left the ISS with a skeleton crew of just three astronauts manning operations until Crew 12 astronauts arrived next month to take over.

 

All right, some may have thought this was an old wives tale, but now there is scientific proof that horses can sense fear and that they can actually smell it.

 

old wives tale 老妇人的迷信; 无稽之谈; 民间传说

 

And one of the most intriguing aspects of this discovery is how researchers figured this out. If you're like me, you might be wondering, what does fear even smell like?

 

Well, scientists at the French Institute for Horse and Riding put cotton pads in the armpits of study participants. Then they showed the participants either scary or joyful videos to collect what they call odor compounds.

 

armpit [ˋɑrm͵pɪt] n. 腋窝; 腋下

 

Then researchers put those pads on the muzzles of 43 horses to see how they reacted. The horses who smelled fear were more likely to startle easily, less likely to approach people, less likely to be inquisitive and investigate unfamiliar objects. Here's the advice from the scientists involved.

 

muzzle [ˈmʌzl] n. 口鼻；口套

inquisitive [ɪnˈkwɪzətɪv] adj. 好奇的; 爱钻研的；好打听的

 

Though you can't control the smells you give off when afraid, when you're on or near a horse, you should, quote, focus on relaxing so you can ride calmly and without fear.

 

Pop quiz, hot shot.

 

What is the valid target area in foil fencing?

 

valid [ˈvælɪd] adj. 有效的；具有法律效力的

foil fencing 花剑，也常被称为钝剑

fencing [ˈfensɪŋ] n. 击剑运动

 

The entire body, the torso only, the head and arms, or from waist down?

 

torso [ˈtɔrso] n. 躯干

 

If you said torso, on guard! The minimum score needed to win a standard individual at fencing about is 15 touches, unless time runs out.

 

on guard 提防, 警惕

 

I'll try not to foil this next story with too many puns and get right to the point. In Qatar, a former Team USA fencing phenom is paying it forward and writing her latest chapter.

 

foil [fɔɪl] v. 挫败，阻止，制止

phenom [fəˈnɑm] n. 杰出人才

 

Ittihaj Mohammed made history at the 2016 Rio Games, becoming not only the first American woman to compete in a hijab, but also the first Muslim American woman to win an Olympic medal.

 

hijab [ˈhɪdʒæb] n. 头巾（伊斯兰教女性出门时用于包裹头部的头巾）

 

Now, the trailblazing athlete is helping a new generation of female fencers hone their skills. Our Matias Grez picked up a sword for an up-close encounter.

 

Welcome to the Rec Center in Education City, where today I'll be speaking to U.S. Olympic fencer Ittihaj Mohammed, who became a household name overnight at Rio 2016, when she became the first U.S. athlete to wear a hijab at an Olympic Games.

 

Now in Qatar, she is aiming to inspire and empower young girls to get into sport, but in particular, into fencing. I'll attack. You guys shake hands. Good job.

 

I heard maybe one of you is going to fence against me. So whoever it is, just take it easy, OK?

 

Matias, you ready? Crash course, guys, come on.

 

I'm about to play a game of fencing Simon Says, but this version with a sword in my hand. This is your blade. Everybody have a blade? All right, you ready? Simon Says? As ready as I'll ever be.

 

OK. Simon Says, advance. Retreat.

 

We've got to wait for Simon. Simon Says, retreat. Simon Says, advance.

 

Lunge. Oh! While it might be too late for me to make the Olympics, these girls seem to have the talent and work ethic to go all the way. And learning from an Olympic medalist like Ittihaj will certainly help.

 

And how have you found working with Ittihaj?

 

She's been very nice. She's a very nice and sweet person. Her tips are very helpful, and I can find they're relatable, because she's been where I've been and much more, so I'm hoping to reach where she is.

 

One of the girls I spoke to actually said that her motivation to get into fencing was because she saw you at Rio 2016. I mean, when you hear stories like that from girls that you're teaching, how does that make you feel?

 

You know, it gives me chills, because sometimes I forget that I actually went to the Olympics and won a medal. You dedicate all of your time, all of your energy into a dream, and you don't always know if that dream will come to fruition.

 

chill [tʃɪl] n. 害怕的感觉

 

To have that moment come true for me and go to the Olympics and win a medal, but then icing on the cake, you know, to inspire the next generation. And I hope that anything I've done in sport, these girls are able to achieve a lot more, because I do believe that things become easier when you've seen it done, and you know that it's possible for you.

 

For ARMY, this news hit like a Mic Drop.

 

BTS is back! Inside a small restaurant in Seoul, the walls are filled with posters, photos, and notes honoring the global pop icons BTS, a spot the group visited as trainees.

 

trainee [treˈni] n. 受培训者

 

Today, fans from around the world gather there over Korean food to celebrate the long-awaited news. BTS, the group that notched multiple number ones on the Billboard charts and became the first K-pop act to win major awards like Artist of the Year at the AMAs, is returning with a new album and a world tour.

 

notch [nɑtʃ] v. 赢得

 

The group recently announced their first new album in more than three years. It'll be released in March, followed by a world tour starting in April. The tour launches in Goyang, South Korea, before heading across Asia, the U.S., and Europe with more shows on the way.

 

BTS paused group activities while its seven members completed South Korea's mandatory military service, making this reunion even more meaningful. And now, after years of waiting, the countdown is on because for BTS and ARMY, the best really is yet to come.

 

Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10, shows that when history meets harmony, the lesson just might hit the right note.

 

We've been trying to find ways to use AI in different, you know, aspects in our teaching.

 

At Highland Middle School in Arkansas, 8th grade social studies teacher John Perry Mize already used music to support learning. Well, when he found few resources focused on their state's history, he began creating his own.

 

Writing the lyrics and choosing the style, letting AI handle the music arrangement.

 

I try to make my prompts really precise. I'll add in files as well, like documents, so I know it's pulling from accurate information.

 

prompt [prɒmpt] n. 提词

 

I always proofread everything.

 

proofread [ˈprufrid] v. 校对

 

Mize says the music keeps students engaged and helps reinforce key concepts, often replaying in their heads during class and tests. Mize has inspired students to create their own songs and poems.

 

Talk about educational remix. Let's try it. What's up, sunshine? We did it again.

 

I'm Coy Wire. This is CNN 10. News straight down the middle that goes by just like a blink.

 

I simply tell you the what, letting you decide what to think.

 

Shout out time. This one goes to Mr. Musley at Oak Crest High School in Mays Landing, New Jersey.

 

Thank you for making us a part of your day. Rise up. And we just hit 100,000 followers on Instagram.

 

So big shout out to all of you following us at CNN 10, including Mr. Rodman at Hunter High School in West Valley City, Utah. You rock. Play that Friday music, not air.

 

Go out. Be the spark of joy someone needs. Remember that happiness isn't some ideal we have to chase or find.

 

It's right here, right now. All we have to do is embrace it. You are more powerful than you know.

 

Have an awesome weekend. I'll see you in Miami. I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN 10.