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US Military Eyes the Glow of Fireflies

Posted by samzenpus on from the get-some-glowing dept.

GarryFre writes "According to the AP: 'Someday, the secrets of fireflies or glowing sea plankton could save an American soldier in battle, a Navy SEAL on a dive, or a military pilot landing after a mission. That's the hope behind a growing field of military-sponsored research into bioluminescence, a phenomenon that's under the microscope in laboratories around the country. This phenomenon is noteworthy because this produces light without wasting energy because it does not generate any heat. A possible military use of bio-luminescence would be creating biodegradable landing zone markers that helicopters can spot even as wind from their rotors kicks up dirt.'"

6 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Just cut out the middle man... by Deathnerd · · Score: 2, Funny

    And give us glow-in-the-dark soldiers!

    1. Re:Just cut out the middle man... by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Funny

      LOL Gay Bomb.

  2. Light Without Heat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Doesn't that violate some law of physics?

  3. Fireflies by siride · · Score: 3, Funny

    Would this just attract a bunch of pubescent, emo girls? They could be more dangerous than terrorists.

  4. Re:The Office of Naval research has done this befo by pspahn · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sounds to me like a good way to get your battleship sunk by an enemy that had access to lightbulbs.

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  5. time to cheap out by ILuvRamen · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe I'm overthinking this but wouldn't it be A LOT cheaper on the research budget if they just develop a shatter resistant hampster ball that they can fill with actual fireflies? Then they could drop that out and make a landing zone marker with it.

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