I knew I lost that quarter somewhere, thank god for this handy $400 tracking device!

At the University of Washington in Seattle, researchers have been ‘bugging’ birds with small microchips designed to detect and transmit when two tags come close to each other. Encounternet developed by John Burt and Brian Otis consist of tags weighing in at 1-gram and small enough to make the birds both uncomfortable and offensive to other birds.

Hopefully once all the tags have been placed on their target which in this case are sparrows. Scientists will be able to study how they use their bird calls to both learn calls as well as use those calls to defend, protect territory.

Perhaps one day I will have one of these chips located on me that can give me some warning when I am in close contact with humans so scientists can track the alarming rate which I personally am spreading the Swine Flu Virus.

Work is already underway to use the tags on other animals for example chickens. However unless the tag is fastened directly to the business end of the bird preventing  it from shitting on my car it essentially is useless on a personal standpoint.

[source]