Like many people, I enjoy making fun of new ideas, at least until it turns out they really have merit. 

For instance, scientists at a U.S. weapons laboratory say they have trained bees to sniff out explosives, in something called the Stealthy Insect Sensor Project.  So, the first thing I picture is 50,000 buzzing bees swarming through the airport, attacking travelers who have suspicious luggage.

But no, actually the idea is that once the insects are trained at bee school, they get stuffed into a shoebox-size thingy which can be carried around to detect explosives in anything from roadside bombs to belts like the ones suicide bombers wear. 

Now, if we can just get suicide bombers to come right up to a shoebox full of bees…. Here’s the story: 
 

South Korean bee farmer Ahn Sang-kyu, who is swarmed with 180,000 bees which he released, jumps on a mock Japanese flag on May 2, 2006.   REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon