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Cockroaches Daubed With Yeast As WMD Sensors?
Our Man In Redmond writes "OK, yeah, it sounds weird, but it just might work. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have come up with the idea of attaching genetically-modified yeast to the back of a cockroach - or a cockroach-sized robot - and using the yeast to detect chemical or biological agents. The story's in today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer. They point out some other possible nifty uses for the yeast-based technology, like detecting diseases by having a patient blow on a piece of paper 'printed' with the yeast."
Fear not, terrorists, I've got your solution! Just make your WMD in really, really, really bright laboratories! Problem solved!
... what? Crap, I'm sorry ... gotta go ... some nice men in suits are here and need to talk about some "Patriot Act" or something ... I'll see you in about 20, I guess ...
*mumble mumble*
topreacher@signature.slashdot.org 1% rm -rf sig
" like detecting diseases by having a patient blow on a piece of paper 'printed' with the yeast."
now THAT's a blowjob
my blog
1) Cockroaches fail to find evidence of WMDs.
2) Government asserts non-cooperation on part of regime under inspection with cockroaches conducting said inspections.
3) ???
4) Democracy!
Yeah, I know one "nifty" technology based on yeast: it's called "beer" and has been around for thousands of years. Hoooray for yeast! ;-)
Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
I suggest cockroach + robot = "cockrobot"
As an added benefit: "I, for one, welcome our new cockrobot overlords" has a nice ring to it.
Weapons of mass destruction. Biological outbreaks of plague. Medical sensors. Bah.
There is one purpose for which yeast, and yeast research, should be put. Beer. Better beer. Beer that tastes great, but is less filling. Beer that I can drink until snookered, then wake up from the next day, hangover free.
Beer.
Any questions?
OK this is cool You send the coachroaches out into an area where there is WMD. How do you check the yeast? Have the coachroacges on a really long leash? :)
Rus
Cheap UK and US VPS
Patient blows.
Doctor: "Ehmmm. You have herpes."
Patient: "What? One blow, and you say I have herpes?"
So, the USA not just destroys Iraqi infrastructure to stone age, they now want to flood the ruins with yeast-infected cockroaches?
No limits to human cruelty..
Lisp is the Tengwar of programming languages.
So if they are still alive when all humans are gone, we'll know it was a really, really good weapon. What? Oh...
Money for nothing, pix for free
.. welcome our new bread-making anthrax-detecting apocalypse-surviving insect overlords.
Won't the bad guys just buy a few cans of pyrethrin lacquer (the stuff you spray around ant holes). "I'm sorry, Mrs. Roach, but your husband is missing presumed dead. He crawled for what he believed in."
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
... that it's a very bad idea to mix anything "genetically modified" and "cockroach"... Mimic anyone ? Am I the only one that envisions frothing swarms of sentient, mansized, flesh eating, multiplying-at-the-rate-of-yeast-bacteriae cockroaches surging out of Manhattans' manholes ?
On a brighter note, it could also spawn a new breed of crunchy luxury beer called "Skuttlebrau"
... just have a cockroach with a tiny little camera strapped to its back go in behind the yeast roach.
i'll take 10,000 of those "monkeys" you talk about above 1 self-important pompous arrogant windbag like yourself
your arrogant attitude and dim consideration of your fellow human being is part of the problem, not the solution
you are not better educated about the problems of the world, you are merely drowning in self-righteous teenage-level cynicism about the world
you're actually a dime a dozen, and you suck
get back to us when you grow up, teenager
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
The Australian population in general would no doubt be much obliged if you send Steve Irwin out after WMDs.
"Crikey, it's a big one, look at the plutonium on that-" [Camera pans out, mushroom cloud silently expands to the clouds, and another Aussie stereotype dies a long-awaited death]
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
because we have tons of cockroaches sitting idle.
Put them to work!
Sorry, but at this point, the idea to 'infest' a country with cockroaches because they're suspected of harboring WMDs sounds like little more than a reaaally big contract for the Orkin Man.
You are in a little twisting maze of passages, all different. You're screwed.