Potentially a big help in the fight against malaria...

It may sound quite a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut; but the latest idea to employ lasers to toast mosquitoes may have some merit.

The sound frequency of the mosquitoes beating wings is detected and then a laser blasts the bug to a cinder. 

Some heavy-hitters have been conscripted to work on the concept, including Lowell Wood, an astrophysicist who worked on the hydrogen bomb project in the 1950's.  In the 1980's Wood was the chief architect of Ronald Reagan's ballistic missile defense project - dubbed 'Star Wars.'

As well, Dr. Jordin Kare, a scientist who had previously worked at the (in)famous Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - a US gov weapons research facility -has been involved in the building of the prototype mosquito-laser, from parts bought on eBay.  Kare claims that the computer controlled targeting of mosquitoes will be able to '...toast millions of mosquitoes in a few minutes.'

The mosquito-zapper, if proven effective, will be welcomed by those living in regions of the planet where mosquito borne malaria and other diseases are massive public health problems.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are between 350-500 million cases of malaria each year, resulting in over one million deaths.

The research has been comissioned by Intellectual Ventures, a US based company founded by Nathan Myhrvold, a former Microsoft executive.

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