Congressional pork, with a nice honey glaze

Montana research firms are in line to receive $15 million over five years to develop anti-landmine technology.

Sounds like a good idea. Oh, did I mention that the new "technology" is honey bees and lasers?

That's right. We're spending $15 million to teach honey bees how to find land mines:

Some convinced insects could be used to detect bombs

By NOELLE STRAUB
Gazette Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Montana researchers' vision of honeybees swarming across a field to detect landmines in Afghanistan or roadside bombs in Iraq may get a $5 million boost after Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., included the funding in a Defense Department spending bill.

The researchers believe they are on the verge of perfecting a briefcase-size system that can be carried around and deployed easily, using laser technology to track bees that have been trained to find explosives.

.....

The researchers estimate the total program cost at $15 million over five years. Congress at Burns' request appropriated money in previous defense spending bills for the bee research, including $1.9 million in fiscal year 2005 and $2.8 million in fiscal 2006.

The researchers' first obstacle, they say, is credibility. It seems people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept of bomb-finding bees.

"It seems people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept of bomb-finding bees."

Ya think?

Tags: Senate Pork Conrad Burns Montana Bees Land Mines