[NukeNet] Nuclear To Be Or Not To Bee Smells

[Bill Smirnow]

    Mothersalert: http://www.mothersalert.org
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1.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-bombs-bees.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
   Scientists Say Trained Bees Can Sniff Bombs
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By REUTERS
Published: November 28, 2006
Filed at 6:39 a.m. ET

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PHOENIX (Reuters) - Scientists at a U.S. weapons
laboratory say they have trained bees to sniff out
explosives in a project they say could have
far-reaching applications for U.S. homeland
security and the Iraq war.

Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
in New Mexico said they trained honeybees to stick
out their proboscis -- the tube they use to feed
on nectar -- when they smell explosives in
anything from cars and roadside bombs to belts
similar to those used by suicide bombers.

Researchers in the program, dubbed the Stealthy
Insect Sensor Project, published their findings on
Monday.by a sugar water reward, researchers said
they trained bees to recognize substances ranging
from dynamite and C-4 plastic explosives to the
Howitzer propellant grains used in improvised
explosive devices in Iraq.

``When bees detect the presence of explosives,
they simply stick their proboscis out,'' research
scientist Tim Haarmann told Reuters in a telephone
interview. ``You don't have to be an expert in
animal behavior to understand it as there is no
ambiguity.''

The findings followed 18 months of research at the
U.S. Energy Department's Los Alamos facility, the
nation's leading nuclear weapons laboratory.

``We are very excited at the success of our
research as it could have far-reaching
implications for both defense and homeland
security,'' Haarmann said.

While scientists have trained wasps to respond to
the trace of explosives, Haarmann said research
with bees appeared to show more promise.

Haarmann said the bees could be carried in
hand-held detectors the size of a shoe box, and
could be used to sniff out explosives in airports,
roadside security checks, or even placed in robot
bomb disposal equipment.

He said the next step would be to manufacture the
bee boxes and train security guards in their use.

``It would be great to start saving some lives
with this,'' he said.