Via Boing-Boing. The future is already here. It's just not evenly distributed:
Posted by DeLong at November 29, 2004 07:32 PM | TrackBackCore77 - Materials and Processes: A Danish company, Aresa Biodetection, has developed genetically-modified flowers that change color when their roots come in contact with nitrogen dioxide in the soil. Explosives used in mines produce NO2 as the chemicals gradually decay. The company plans to sow fields of NO2-sniffing Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale or mouse cress) in areas riddled with long-forgotten ordinance from Angola to Cambodia.
The effort's life- and limb-saving potential is staggering: More than 100 million land mines kill or injure 26,000 people in 45 countries each year. Today's most popular detection method is poking around with a stick.
Hey, does Paul McCartney and his his new wife have anything to do with this?
Posted by: John Thullen at November 29, 2004 08:30 PMHey, do Paul McCartney and his new wife have anything to do with this?
Posted by: John Thullen at November 29, 2004 08:32 PMWell, does/do they?
Posted by: John Thullen at November 29, 2004 08:37 PMI thought the solution of using african pouch rats to sniff 'em out seemed a bit quicker, but flowers are nice and all that.
Posted by: Julian Elson at November 29, 2004 08:51 PM
Yeah, but you probably have to plow the field before planting to get the flowers to thrive.
D'oh!
Posted by: Ottnott at November 29, 2004 09:41 PMWhat an awesomely great use of technology, if it actually works as advertised. Is this hardy stuff where you can just scatter the seeds on some parched field in Angola and it will grow without tilling and attention?
Bill Gates, have your foundation throw a couple hundred million at this and make a good name for yourself.
A Danish firm sowing the world with genetically modified flora? Does the citizenry of the European Union know about this?
More seriously, bless those biologists, and their backers, each and every one.
Posted by: kharris at November 30, 2004 04:24 AMThis sounds like a great idea. But, along the lines of unintended consequences, should we worry about invasive, weedy species that may result in long term environmental or ecosystem damage?
Posted by: marcel at November 30, 2004 07:23 AM