I liked the part about the 5 to 10 grams the best!
-Rolan
Paul Moorehead <pjm at sos.net> wrote: a little premature for April Fools I think....

Scott Ray wrote:
>
> This system appears to have a lot of possibilities...But will birding be any
> fun when we can know in advance where all the birds are?
>
> ++++++
>
> LONG BEACH, California (API)--Scientists on Friday excitedly unveiled what
> they call the ultimate weapon in the fight to preserve endangered species.
> The excitement surrounded the launch of the DNA Remote Sensing Satellite
> (DNARS) from an ocean platform in the south Pacific. The satellite settled
> into orbit over the equator on Saturday, after a rocket boosted it into
> space from a South Pacific seapad the day before. Controllers aboard the
> Odyssey Launch Platform, sitting on the equator about 1,400 miles (2,253
> kilometers) southeast of Hawaii, said the Saturday liftoff of the US-built
> Atlas rocket went flawlessly, carrying DNARS into orbit. Over the next few
> weeks, the satellite will be nudged into its permanent geostationary orbit.
>
> According to Matthew Spassvogel of Great Britain's Royal Society of
> Ornithologists, and one of the main supporters of the system, technology
> onboard the satellite takes advantage of recent advances in the
> understanding of DNA, the genetic blueprint of all life. "This is
> extraordinarily significant," said Spassvogel, vice president for endangered
> species monitoring. "This satellite system is the cornerstone in furthering
> our understanding of the environment." Onboard sensors will detect every
> occurrence of DNA matching that of known samples extracted in the
> laboratory. This translates into the ability to detect and geographically
> map every individual of a given species from space, says Alyesheva
> Mentiroso, lead NASA scientist on the project. "Such detail is
> unprecedented in the world of population studies," said Rees Lange of the
> World Wildlife Group. A delighted Rees went on to say, "The system will
> allow real time mapping of species of which, until now, we could only guess
> about their distribution and population." According to project scientists,
> the resolution of the system is limited to organisms with individual mass
> greater than about 500 grams. Future versions may allow detection of
> species as small as 5 to 10 grams, near the theoretical limit of the
> technology according to Mentiroso. A species' distribution can be
> accurately mapped in about 24 hours, with mapping precision equivalent to
> current Global Positioning System data. The consortium is working with a
> number of environmental groups to prioritize a list of species for the
> initial round of mapping.
>
> American ornithologists are hoping that one of the first uses of the system
> will be to learn the fate of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, long believed
> extinct until a possible recent sighting in Louisiana.
>
> The wider community, however, failed to share the enthusiasm of scientists.
> Moments after the announcement, the National Home Construction Association
> (NHCA) called DNARS a blatant attempt to put them out of business. "If this
> project is successful," bristled Wyr Uhskamm, president of the NHCA, "real
> estate development will grind to a halt, jobs will be lost and severe damage
> to the US economy will result. This is a clear example of environmentalist
> wackos out of control."
>
> Asked what impact she thought DNARS will have on the economy, NASA's
> Mentiroso refused to speculate, stating only that the potential wealth of
> data will revolutionize species management.
>
> In theory, this technology will make possible direct observation of
> individual persons by law enforcement agencies, as well. By Saturday
> afternoon, civil liberties groups were cautiously warning that this is
> effort is another threat to personal privacy. However, William Espia,
> spokesperson for the National Association of Law Enforcement Organizations,
> released a statement saying, "Only persons with something to hide need worry
> about this technology."
>
> The satellite will be positioned over the equator at approximately 90
> degrees west, allowing it to view the entire western hemisphere. The second
> satellite in the system, to be positioned over the eastern hemisphere, is
> slated for launch later this year. Other partners in the consortium include
> USGS High Island Wildlife Research Center; the World Wildlife Protection
> Fund of Sao Paulo, Brazil; RSC-DPA of Moscow, and KL Yuzhnoya/PS Yuzhmasti
> of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.
>
> Scott Ray
> Yakima
> scray at wolfenet.com

Rolan Nelson
Burley, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com


---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Greetings - send greetings for Easter, Passover