A new study re-analyzes a mathematical correction factor for calculating the drag of microscopic particles in gas and creates a “correctional tensor” that accounts for non-spherical particles. Every day, we inhale millions of microscopic particles ranging from dust and pollen to viruses and microplastics. While scientists know this mélange of particles exists in our atmosphere, accurately tracking those particles—whether for climate modeling, air quality monitoring, or accurately predicting the drift of wildfire smoke—is far from simple. This correction factor is pretty handy for tracking microscopic particles, but it comes with one major downside: it assumes those particles are perfectly spherical. This will allow scientists to study non-spherical particles in a controlled environment with the hope of one day improving predictive atmospheric modeling around the world.