US Military Eyes the Glow of Fireflies

Posted by samzenpus on Saturday September 11, 2010 @01:48PM 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.'"

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Re:Just cut out the middle man... by Ethanol-fueled · 2010-09-11 16:33 · Score: 4, Funny

LOL Gay Bomb.
time to cheap out by ILuvRamen · 2010-09-11 17:00 · 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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