A sensor inspired by an African thumb piano could root out bogus medicines

The device can distinguish a common cough syrup ingredient from a poisonous look-alike

thumb pianos

REMIX  Inspired by an instrument called an mbira (left), researchers either remodeled the thumb piano (center) or used scrap materials (right) to construct a device that measures the densities of liquids.

W. Grover/UC Riverside

Identifying faulty drugs or diagnosing kidney problems could one day be as simple as playing an instrument and analyzing the sound.