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adamT

Flowers to detect landmines

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Is this similar to the science in which sheeps bladders can be used to prevent earthquakes?



Or swallows trained to carry cocconuts? lol


Adam, Awesome find! I swear I thought of that! Came to me in a dream... I should have patented it!... well, in my version, it was more like a 'Wandering Jew' plant with strong roots that would clear a field by detonating them all. LOL I like this better.

How appropriate that we use a living medium to save lives... How fitting that past battlefields will be riddled with flowers. :)
Nick



My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

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My first thought was...."How the hell do you plan on seeding them?" :D:S I guess if you can spread them by plane....that'll work. My second thought......"What about places like Afghanistan, which is one of the most heavily mined countries on earth, and also a desert. Will it grow there? How about Cambodia, where the jungle is thick? Will this plant grow and could you see it even if it did?" This is a great idea but I think the implementation may be a little tougher than these lab engineers think.

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My second thought......"What about places like Afghanistan, which is one of the most heavily mined countries on earth, and also a desert. Will it grow there? How about Cambodia, where the jungle is thick? Will this plant grow and could you see it even if it did?" This is a great idea but I think the implementation may be a little tougher than these lab engineers think.



You're right. This was a waste of time.
"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

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Is this similar to the science in which sheeps bladders can be used to prevent earthquakes?


your just jaloux that it wasnt a US guy that found out of that.How ever thouse who make this aint claiming that they can get all mines,so it anit all proof yet;)

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

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Yes, those same issues poped into my head, i wonder how they plan on addressing them.



Well, there are still the conventional means... you know, sending Canadian troops in baby-blue headdress to play a game of red-rover across a suspected area. lol

This is just another tool, to be used when possible. They say they could clear a strip using conventional means, plant the flowers and let 'em spread on their own. Or use a plane to 'cropdust' with seeds.

Sure there are spots where this won't work i.e. flowers won't grow in the desert... or will be overgrown by a jungle. But it's a start. I bet now that's they've got this, it won't be long before they can simply alter the plants that are already indigenous to a certain erea in the same fashion... that would certainly help with the Jungle problem.



My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

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You're right. This was a waste of time.



Actually in Europe where its being developed it could be tried such as in the Balkans and other places with similar climate it would work just fine. If it actually does work....if the genetics are known it could be adapted to other species in other places... obviously its not the magic bullet for all places but its a start.
Deserts do have wet years and dry years. I have seen our desert SW barren and devoid of most plants in most years.. then a wet year comes along and the entire desert bursts into color from seeds that do not germinate in the dry years. Since it was raining in Eloy when we were there I will bet this will be a beautiful spring down there.

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This is just another tool, to be used when possible. They say they could clear a strip using conventional means, plant the flowers and let 'em spread on their own. Or use a plane to 'cropdust' with seeds.



Yup. This is an addition to an array of tools, none of which alone is enough. Together, they're still not enough, but it's better.

I have a hammer, and there are things it doesn't work for. Doesn't mean I ditch the hammer, though.

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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I am thinking that MIGHT just be the wrong tool for land mine detection Wendy



Well, now, that all depends on who I have using it, doesn't it? :)

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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Deserts do have wet years and dry years. I have seen our desert SW barren and devoid of most plants in most years..



yes they do...the middle east is currently experiencing its highest rainfall in 50 years..
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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

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They have been teaching Bees and ants for some time now to detect landmines along with several other unconventional technologies that aren't public knowledge yet. Just like this plant, it remains to be seen if they actually work the way they were intended or in the "real world" under real circumstances.
"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
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well I think its a pretty good idea... its not like current methods of mining-clearing, where you have to have specially trained people clearing the mines out. It would be pretty simple to clear out a few paths in a field, then train a local to toss seed out onto the field... and in a few weeks, bring back the trained mine-clearers to dig out the mines at the red flower patches.

MB 3528, RB 1182

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