Wow. Science can be really cool. A Tanzania-based project is using local big bush rats to sniff out land mines. The rats are classically conditioned to sniff out TNT and they are really good at it. Currently, mines are being cleared using this low cost technique in Mozambique. A really great idea that deserves a lot of support. It seems like the rats are so good they might be able to detect diseased humans as much as victims of earthquakes in collapsed houses. Anything has a scent signature so it seems a very promising idea to make use of the big fellas.