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E-nose Sniffs Out Nasty Resistant Bacteria

Posted by Zonk on from the nanotech-nosehairs dept.

geekroot's dad writes "There have been several tries for an Electronic nose that seek out various airborne elements - they can find cancer, monitor recycled air for NASA and find nasty bacteria better than lab tests. Now as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) becomes a problem not only in hospitals but in everyday life some British scientist have built a super nose to find the 'little buggers'."

4 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. My privates, er... privacy! by banzaimonkey · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    And now everyone will have to purchase a giant plastic suit to protect their privacy from the super-sniffer. Alternatively, you could just smell really bad and overload the little bugger.

  2. Here's two examples of court cases that you'll hav by putko · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Here are two court cases that illustrate the issues that electronic-noses will bring up. Civil libertarians will freak out.

    Searching in public place:

    http://www.napwda.com/tips/index.phtml?id=29

    "The Man" sniffing around outside your house (this one has a cool FLIR photo of a house lit up from growing plants inside):

    http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/c onlaw/kyllo.htm

    --
    http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_s tone_your_children/dt21_18a.html
  3. I sense a great need... by zuvembi · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Holy Lord Buddha!

    Why if we had these sorts of things, people could be screened at Anime conventions right at the door. Noone would have to hand out these to the poor benighted hygiene-challenged individuals.

    Progress!

  4. Re:Hack it by ikkonoishi · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You are kidding aren't you? The average politician is so full of BS his eyes are brown. A BS detector would blow up like the scouters on DBZ the second you walked through the door of a government building.