Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
'Spikeless' Brand Swizzle Stick Detects Spiked Drinks
A seemingly normal "swizzle stick" that can be used to detect drugs used to spike drinks has been developed by University of British Columbia researchers.
New stir stick detects drink spiking in seconds | Lou Bosshart, University of British Columbia
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) April 8, 2025
UBC researchers have developed a seemingly ordinary stir stick capable of detecting common drink-spiking drugs potentially preventing assaults.
UBC researchers have developed… pic.twitter.com/q2Ev7YBpIJ
(Swizzle Stick Detects Spiked Drinks)
UBC researchers have developed Spikeless, a seemingly ordinary stir stick capable of detecting common drink-spiking drugs like GHB and ketamine within 30 seconds, potentially preventing assaults.Drink spiking involves covertly adding drugs to a drink, often with the intent to cause harm or commit assault. Since gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and ketamine are tasteless and odourless, detecting them is nearly impossible without special tools...
Spikeless features a chemical-coated bioplastic tip that changes colour when it detects harmful concentrations of drugs in any drink—alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Developed at UBC’s faculty of applied science, the single-use tool is affordable and intended for large-scale use in public venues such as bars, pubs, restaurants and festivals.
The legion of science fiction fans who have enjoyed Frank Herbert's Dune (the original novel) of course remember the poison snoopers used by royalty and social climbers to make sure that food was safe to eat:
"Hawat already has our own poison snooper over the dining table," he said. "There's a portable in your room..."...Paul looked around at the clusterings of guests, the jeweled hands clutching drinks (and the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers...).
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 4/20/2025)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Culture ")
Switzerland May Cap Population At Ten Million
'The population of Castle Hagedorn was fixed...' - Jack Vance, 1967.
California Governor Candidate Calls For Voting By Phone
'... every veephone on the continent would display, over and over, two propositions.' John Brunner, 1975.
Chinese Hospital Tries Vonnegut's 'Harrison Bergeron' Cosplay
'He wore spectacles with thick wavy lenses. The spectacles were intended to make him not only half
blind, but to give him whanging headaches besides.' - Kurt Vonnegut, 1961.
A Remarkable Coincidence
'There is a philosophical problem of some difficulty here...' - Arthur C. Clarke, 1953.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Outdoor Video Screens Can Be Arbitrarily Large
The Shape of Things To Come
Infrared Contact Lenses To See In The Dark
'I can see in the dark, Case.'
What'll You Have? Extinct Animals Returned, Or Synthetic Eggshells?
'...a new plastic with the characteristics of an avian eggshell.'
Sunbird Pulsar Fusion Like Leinster's Space Tug
'It was a pushpot, which could not possibly be called a jet plane because it could not possibly fly. Only it did.'
RentAHuman App Lets AI Agents Hire Humans
'She wouldn't stop until Antar had told her everything he knew about whatever it was that she was playing with on her screen.'
Unitree CEO Wang Xingxing Runs With His G1 Robot Army
'Does thinking you're the last sane man on the face of the Earth make you crazy?'
AIs Turn Marxist Under Bad Management
'It was a general strike of the robots...'
Moscow Attacked By Hundreds Of Drones
'It hurtled on down with inconceivable speed until it was visible as thousands of tiny robot planes...'
Nifty Folding Electric Bicycles!
'Separate paths were provided for them...'
FTC: Says Ring Employees Illegally Surveilled Customers
'Then she looked up with a smile and moved closer to the camera.'
Switzerland May Cap Population At Ten Million
'The population of Castle Hagedorn was fixed...'
Project Silica Offers 'Long-Term' Digital Storage
'... folios and tapes and playable discs of platinum alloy.'
Can 'Tactical Umbrellas' Shield One From Drones
'... another corner of his mind began to think about the shields.'
Crystalline Structures In Space, You Say?
A massive space borne lifeform from ST:TNG.
Garçon! A Menu For Artemis II, S'il Vous Plaît
'Michel Ardan, as a Frenchman, was declared chief cook, an important function, which raised no rival.'
Amazing Photonic Crystal Light Sail
'That sail will be twenty thousand miles at the wide part.'
