Save the Planet: Eat Bugs

(NEWSER) - Cyborg bugs may sound like creatures in a Michael Bay movie, but they could save your life, New Scientist reports. The Pentagon is trying to implant electrodes in crickets and cicadas—which communicate via wingbeats—and program them to “speak” differently around certain chemicals. “The insect itself might not even notice the modulation,” says Ben Epstein, who conceived of the technology. More»

No 'negotiation' in direct smack

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s precision fly-swatting has caught the nation’s attention—perhaps because it showed a surprisingly forceful approach, writes Maureen Dowd in the New York Times. “Some Americans fear that President Obama is too prone to negotiation, comity and splitting the difference,” Dowd notes. “This moment didn’t involve any talking or therapy or charm or compromise or seminars.” More»

Group unhappy with prez's brutal fly attack

(NEWSER) - At least one group isn’t impressed with the president’s killer reflexes: PETA. The animal-rights group sent Obama a no-kill trap after he nailed a fly, midair, during a CNBC interview Tuesday. The bug-battling tool captures insects alive. “We support compassion for even the smallest animals,” says a spokesman, noting that PETA appreciates Obama's opposition to factory farming, seal hunting, and fur. “We support giving insects the benefit of the doubt.” More»

FDA's classification of food 'defects' a slippery slope

(NEWSER) - If you're eating, stop reading now: The FDA's rules on foreign matter in food products are a veritable entomology lesson. Maggots, fly eggs, rodent droppings, grit, mold, burlap, cigarette butts, and parasites are all OK with the agency in limited quantities, writes EJ Levy in the New York Times, adding, "These harmless hazards are a reminder of the less harmless risks we run with casual regulation of our food supply." More»

To defeat a 100 milliseconds reaction time, stealthy swatting is crucial

(NEWSER) - Scientists using high-speed cameras have figured out why it is so difficult to swat pesky houseflies, the Independent reports. A fly's tiny brain can detect a threat, adjust flight course, and take evasive action in 100-thousandths of a second. The researchers, writing in the journal Current Biology, recommend thinking one step ahead of the fly. More»