Sniffing out Terrorists:
According to an NYT article (free reg. req.), a defense research agency is pooling ideas for creating a device that can ‘detect individuals by their body odor’.
It seems a little far-fetched, but may actually be possible according to research studies in mice, and the commonly-held belief that dogs can recognize individuals by their scent. I’m doubtful of the applicability of such a technology though. Would security forces wonder through the streets of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia hoping the device registers something? Do they already have a sample of what Bin Laden smells like, or do they plan on asking him and other terrorists to donate a sample?
