Wasps Better Than Dogs At Sniffing Out Bombs

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Wasps Better Than Dogs At Sniffing Out Bombs 34

Posted by Hemos on Monday December 05, 2005 @08:05AM from the the-hive-mind-reigns-supreme dept.

boinx writes "Researchers have found that certain wasps can be trained in a matter of minutes to detect the odoriferous substance of your choice. All it takes is a PVC pipe, some wasps and a webcam. Check it out."

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Wasps Better Than Dogs At Sniffing Out Bombs

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Nah no point... (Score:2, Funny)

by Elitist_Phoenix ( 808424 ) writes:

Cause when they detect something, they're to small to have fricking laser beams attached to their heads!
- Re:Nah no point... (Score:1)
  
  by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
  
  Seriously, this is one of the weirdest/wackiest inventions I ever heard about. But you still can attach laser to wasp's head...
Ahem... (Score:1)

by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:

Wow! It's great. Well, maybe I'll use wasps to find my socks when I'm going to work. The only problem is to train 'em for that specific odor.
- Re:Ahem... (Score:1)
  
  by dascandy ( 869781 ) writes:
  
  The problem with bees is not training them but keeping them alive.
  - Re:Ahem... (Score:1)
    
    by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
    
    oh, no, dear friend. Problem with large flocks of bees is keeping YOU alive, not THEM.
    - Re:Ahem... (Score:1)
      
      by Elitist_Phoenix ( 808424 ) writes:
      
      oh, no, dear friend. Problem with large flocks of bees is keeping YOU alive, not THEM.
      Its called a Dalek with a fly swatter! DESTROY! DESTROY!
      - Re:Ahem... (Score:1)
        
        by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
        
        wasps are immortal. BWA Ha Ha.
    - Re:Ahem... (Score:1)
      
      by dascandy ( 869781 ) writes:
      
      Well... given your socks, it might be hard to train them for a smell that kills.
      - Re:Ahem... (Score:1)
        
        by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
        
        funny, man.
Old News (Score:4, Informative)

by n0dalus ( 807994 ) writes: on Monday December 05, 2005 @08:15AM (#14183893) Journal

Similar stories have been reported in places like New Scientist [newscientist.com] (best example I could find at the moment) for several years. Often they just come to a conclusion that dogs, once trained, are far easier to handle than wasps and live a lot longer.

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- Re:Old News (Score:1)
  
  by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
  
  isn't it better to use trained aliens? worms? fish? bacteria? worthless human slaves?
  - Re:Old News (Score:2)
    
    by TheLink ( 130905 ) writes:
    
    Trained miniature horses might be better. They live longer than dogs. 40 years?
    
    Not sure whether their sense of smell would be good enough though.
    - Re:Old News (Score:1)
      
      by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
      
      everybody hail to trained giant turtles!.. they live for 200 years, that's even better!.. ;)
      - Re:Old News (Score:4, Funny)
        
        by I(rispee_I(reme ( 310391 ) writes: on Monday December 05, 2005 @10:24AM (#14184505) Journal
        
        Well, hell, let's just train some Giant Sequoias to do our bombsniffing, then.
        
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        Re:Old News (Score:1)
        
        by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
        
        Yes! Great idea, my friend.
        
        Re:Old News (Score:2)
        
        by Lars T. ( 470328 ) writes:
        
        Use Ents, at least they can walk.
Welcome... (Score:2, Funny)

by Elitist_Phoenix ( 808424 ) writes:

I for one welcome our insect overlords! I'd like to remind them that as a trusted slashdotter I could be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground hives.
- Re:Welcome... (Score:3, Funny)
  
  by moro_666 ( 414422 ) writes:
  
  while your at it, please try to explain to people at the airport why they have to go through a swarm of wasps before entering the airplane ....
  - Re:Welcome... (Score:2, Funny)
    
    by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
    
    That will be easy. Assault rifle at forehead can be VERY ASSURING argument.
    - Re:Welcome... (Score:2, Funny)
      
      by Elitist_Phoenix ( 808424 ) writes:
      
      and by assault rifle we mean Patroit Act.
      - Re:Welcome... (Score:1)
        
        by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
        
        brilliant, man, brilliant. nuff said.
- Re:Welcome... (Score:1)
  
  by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
  
  bow before mighty arthropod masters!!! ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO THEM!!!!!!111!!!!111!!!
Title confusion (Score:3, Funny)

by trurl7 ( 663880 ) writes: on Monday December 05, 2005 @09:09AM (#14184082)

Did anyone else think: "Well, certainly wasps can sniff *money* better than dogs, but bombs?...", before figuring out that article was talking about the other kind of "wasp"?

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- Re:Title confusion (Score:1)
  
  by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
  
  What 'other' type of wasp?
  - Re:Title confusion (Score:2)
    
    by displague ( 4438 ) writes:
    
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Anglo_Saxon_Pro testant [wikipedia.org]
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp [wikipedia.org]
    - Re:Title confusion (Score:1)
      
      by Bifacial ( 936244 ) writes:
      
      Ahh, WASPs... I got it. Funny, funny.
Must .. resist ... remptation ... (Score:1, Offtopic)

by gstoddart ( 321705 ) writes:

Oh well ....

I for one welcome our new bomb-sniffing wasp overlords.

=)
Keys (Score:4, Funny)

by Gleng ( 537516 ) writes: on Monday December 05, 2005 @09:24AM (#14184177)

My first thought was that I could train wasps to find my keys. After consideration, I think my keys may smell rather similar to the pocket I usually keep them in, which is in my jeans, next to my groin.

The last thing I need is a groin full of wasps.

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Some distinct disadvantages (Score:2, Funny)

by Sockatume ( 732728 ) writes:

I wouldn't feel particularly threatened by a couple of law enforcement personnel pursuing me with wasps on leashes, for one. Although I suppose the inevitable case of giggles might give my position away.
over-engineered (Score:2)

by Shotgun ( 30919 ) writes:

And what is the point of watching the wasps with a web cam? What is wrong with a clear tube? Sheesh! Talk about technology for technology's sake.

The biggest problem I see is the specificity of the smells. How many sorts of explosives can you train the wasp for in the few short days you have to work with them? Though, I do see how an industry could form around building and supplying arrays 'of wasp detectors' that you would have people walk through.

And what's the deal with the overly sensitive "released

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Wasps Better Than Dogs At Sniffing Out Bombs 34

Wasps Better Than Dogs At Sniffing Out Bombs More Login

Wasps Better Than Dogs At Sniffing Out Bombs

Nah no point... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Nah no point... (Score:1)

Ahem... (Score:1)

Re:Ahem... (Score:1)

Re:Ahem... (Score:1)

Re:Ahem... (Score:1)

Re:Ahem... (Score:1)

Re:Ahem... (Score:1)

Re:Ahem... (Score:1)

Old News (Score:4, Informative)

Re:Old News (Score:1)

Re:Old News (Score:2)

Re:Old News (Score:1)

Re:Old News (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Old News (Score:1)

Re:Old News (Score:2)

Welcome... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Welcome... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Welcome... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Welcome... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Welcome... (Score:1)

Re:Welcome... (Score:1)

Title confusion (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Title confusion (Score:1)

Re:Title confusion (Score:2)

Re:Title confusion (Score:1)

Must .. resist ... remptation ... (Score:1, Offtopic)

Keys (Score:4, Funny)

Some distinct disadvantages (Score:2, Funny)

over-engineered (Score:2)

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