Posthuman Blues

This obsessive robotification of the zoosphere (in the name of defense, as always) is interesting stuff. Remember "Jones," the dolphin from William Gibson's "Johnny Mnemonic"?

Stealth sharks to patrol the high seas

That team is among a number of groups around the world that have gained ethical approval to develop implants that can monitor and influence the behaviour of animals, from sharks and tuna to rats and monkeys. These researchers hope such implants will improve our understanding of how the animals interact with their environment, as well as boosting research into tackling human paralysis.

More controversially, the Pentagon hopes to exploit sharks' natural ability to glide quietly through the water, sense delicate electrical gradients and follow chemical trails. By remotely guiding the sharks' movements, they hope to transform the animals into stealth spies, perhaps capable of following vessels without being spotted.

(Via KurzweilAI.net.)