Biomimetics--Must mean there is something worth copying:

One would think that we had enough vermin in the world, but apparently not. The Universities of Bristol and Sheffield, in England are working on a robotic rat. (They call it SCRATCHbot.) Actually, what the high-tech team is seeking to copy and reproduce are the whiskers of hated rodent. The project is one of several "biomimetic robots" being developed. The robo-rats have whiskers that flick up and down much like those of their living counterparts. As they vibrate, the delicate antennae can sense various substances-depending on how the operators program the units. They could, for instance, help firefighters find people in smoke-darkened rooms. It sounds almost like a script for a Transformers movie, but the little machines can even work underwater-Robo-scuba-rat. The idea is to copy a rat's ability to navigate and function without vision, based on a sophisticated sense of touch.Nature is full of good ideas. For millennia we have been making machines based on the design specs of this world's Creator. We are often unable to improve on the Master's work. I just returned from some travel that involved airports. Beagle-hounds are still being used for drug detection. It speaks of design. Great attention to detail, incredible technology and creativity are required to copy the intricacies of rat's nose. It sure doesn't make sense to think that the prototype is just an accident.I don't know why, but I have a sudden craving for cheese.It's STTA.