Scientists who helped pioneer BioWatch, the government's system for detecting a biological attack on the U.S., knew from the start that it was prone to false alarms, records show.
Between 2003, when the nationwide network of air samplers was first deployed, and 2006, officials at the federally funded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory filed five patent applications aimed at improving BioWatch's reliability.
"The existing methods for detecting" a release of disease-causing organisms into the environment were "inadequate," according to a patent application filed on behalf of Livermore scientists in December 2006.
The application cited a "higher than acceptable rate of false positive ... results," adding: "False positive results lead to confusion regarding whether [a pathogen] is actually present and whether protective measures should immediately be implemented."
A newly released image showing the UFO that was shot down by a US fighter jet...
The invasive joro spider has been spotted for the first time in Pennsylvania.
Six of the giant,...
Earth will be hosting a new guest this fall.
No, it's not an alien. It's an asteroid.
The...
The NASA astronauts who were left stranded on the International Space Station because of technical issues...
