Bio-Bugz

From the "Hey, Whatever Works" department comes this story, courtesy of NTI:

A Virginia Commonwealth University scientist has received $1 million from the U.S. Defense Department to study whether cockroaches and houseflies could be used as living sensors for biological weapons agents, Popular Science reported in its March edition.

"Cockroaches can detect all kinds of things, from anthrax spores to DNA," said entomologist Karen Kester.

Bugs could have greater range and sensitivity than mechanical detectors placed in subway stations and buildings.

Our society has an almost instinctive preference for technological solutions. But there are many dimensions to the threat, and many possible means of intervening against it.