As a non-scientist, yet working with science, I still find astonishing some of the developments I have promoted, or come across in daily life. Today, on the Tube in London I saw a charity advertisement suggesting a Christmas gift with a difference - it seems that in Tanzania tuberculosis is a problem and conventional tests are both expensive and time-consuming. The solution appears to be specially trained rats that can be used to sniff out the presence of TB in patients. The cost of providing such a rat to an African hospital is only £15, and provides greater benefits than the usual socks or gloves. Go to www.goodgifts.org if you do not believe me. Science can be jaw-dropping!
Years ago, I wrote an article about a television development that contained the the sentence - 'the first time a rat has come to the aid of a sinking ship'. I am pleased that I am now able to give the phrase another outing!
