inkbluesky

Bees join hunt for serial killers

The way bumblebees search for food could help detectives hunt down serial killers, scientists believe.

Just as bees forage some distance away from their hives, so murderers avoid killing near their homes, says the University of London team.

This “geographic profiling” works so well in bees, the scientists say future experiments on the animals could now be fed back to improve crime-solving.

This seems like an oddball exercise. Maybe some misguided attempt to create work for some down on their luck scientists. Under one photo is the only voice of doubt by a Dr. Dr Nigel Raine who simply states that tracking bee movements from one good feeding ground to another is a relatively simple task compared to tracking the thoughts of a serial killer. Haven’t we watched enough CSI to know that they create a profile for each victim that includes gender, race, employment, and of course, location of the murder scene. They feed all of this and more into a computer and look for trends like who and where the next crime will occur. I’ve read the article over a few times thinking I’ve missed something. Serial killer Ted Bundy murdered 29 to a hundred women between 1974 and 1979. The FBI had a very detailed analysis of his modus operandi, but he was still very difficult to catch. His victims included residents of Utah, Colorado and Florida.

the equator and beyond

McCain, the Analog Candidate

As a practical matter, probably not. Presidents can avoid using computers if they want to. That’s one of the privileges of the office. They are surrounded by a staff entrusted with keeping them plugged in, day and night.

So why have Mr. McCain’s admissions of digital illiteracy sparked such ridicule in wiseguy circles?

Computers have become something of a cultural marker — in politics and in the real world. Proficiency with them suggests a basic familiarity with the day-to-day experience of most Americans — just as ignorance to them can suggest someone is “out of touch,” or “old.”

I know some very bright folks who only use the internet for the basics like e-mail and conferencing. On the other hand John wants to be Prez and graduated at the bottom of his class. The internet isn’t a toy. Ok it is a toy, but it is also an important part of our lives even if you don’t personally use it. Net business – new giants of American business because of the net – Google, Amazon, Travelocity, YouTube, Adobe etc. Communication – e-mail, chat  web communities, VOIP. Daily life and finances – banking on the net, looking for discounts, seeing the value of your home, checking census data about your city and neighbors. Jobs – finding one, recruiting and background checks. Knowledge – natural and social science journals have become available to everyone with a connection. Issues like net neutrality, free speech and international advocacy – the political leaders of Burma will live in infamy because of the net. Should the next president be so out of touch with the biggest communication-information tool of our time.

Mr. Wheeler, a supporter and fundraiser for Mr. McCain’s Democratic rival, Senator Barack Obama, said that Lincoln was the model of a president who embraced technology. Lincoln’s mastery of the telegraph machine not only put him well ahead of most of his constituents on the technology curve but also allowed him to speak directly to his generals and track their actions.

Lincoln gave a speech in 1860 that said the United States’ responsiveness to new technology was the chief virtue separating it from Europe. The speech begins, “All creation is a mine, and every man a miner.”