I joined DK to read, not write, and this diary will show it--but this was some of the best news I've read in ages: from Smithsonian.com: Rats as land-mine detectors A fecking BRILLIANT solution to a horrible problem. Read on.
LATE EDIT: Fantastic video in the comments, a TED talk with the man who came up with the idea. After you finish fuming at the latest Tea Party idiocity, this will restore your faith in humanity.