Ever wonder why some scientists wind up studying leeches or arachnids? If you study something cute and furry — or at least good to eat, you may be even more curious than the average person why some scientists study things that are decidedly not.

This week’s New York Times Science section has a brief article on how scientists pick their study subjects. Particularly, how biologists pick the animals that they study when those animals don’t generally have any appeal for humans.

I decided it was worth one of my 10 free NY Times articles for the month, and you might find it interesting too.

The article: For Scientists, Falling in Love May Take a Lifetime of Research