So... when dogs sniff each other's butt, it's really them checking each other for prostate cancer?

When you hit 40, you'll appreciate the possibility of a butt-sniffing, prostate cancer-detecting dog.

I'm not sure if I read this on the slog or somewhere else, but researchers are now training parasitic wasps to replace sniffer dogs. According to National Geographic (which happened to come up first when I googled "drug sniffing wasps"):

"Unlike dogs, the wasps can be trained within 30 minutes and bred by the thousands, providing a near limitless supply.

Other scientists are working with honeybees, rats, and fish as chemical detectors."

Perhaps the wasps can smell cancer too. A cancer-sniffing dog is cool, but there's something deeply sci-fi about cancer-sniffing parasitic wasps.

On second thought, I'll take my prostate exam the old-fashioned way.

Hey Cienna: Here's a dog with NO eyes.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20060107/450DOG_SHOW.jpg

But...but...how does one know when the dog detects cancer? 'Cause if it's that sad look he gets in his eyes, I'm gonna be paranoid for the rest of my life.

They are pointer dogs. They point at the cancer, and then you shoot it.

Well, I guess *technically* that could cure it.