You’ll Never Guess What Scientists Are Using Cockroaches For
You read that right. Cockroaches. Scientists are now developing ways to utilize cockroaches, so they can be used to survey areas that humans aren’t able to reach. By fitting the bugs with tiny electrodes, it’s possible to stimulate their nerves, allowing scientist to steer them in the direction they desire.
Hong Liang, a scientist at Texas A&M University, is leading the ‘cyborg bug’ team. They can “go anywhere you guide them to“, Liang said in regards to the creepy crawlers. What if a mine collapsed, or a power plant malfunctions? The cockroaches could serve as a great tool to see what the cause was, or even make sure no one is trapped.
Cockroaches are ideal for these scenarios due to the strength of their cells in relation to humans. The bugs can survive up to thirty days after high radon exposure while humans could die in 10 minutes.
This raises some ethical questions. Is it cruel to remotely control a living creature. It may just be an insect, but it is still living. Liang claims that they don’t “work them hard” and the team “lets them rest“. Currently the procedure involves performing surgery on the cockroaches, but the scientist are currently researching ways to avoid this.
