I didn’t know that wine fraud was a matter of national energy concerns! As with most federally-funded scientific research, this new gizmo is intellectually interesting, but I’m just not sure that taxpayer dollars should be funding research and development of bottle caps to prevent wine fraud. Actually, I know that taxpayer dollars should not be used for this, but it is only a drop in the bucket. The problem is that stories like these give the impression that government can do things that are efficient/helpful/important/exciting and that these ends justify the means. Afterall, where would we be if we didn’t support the arts and sciences? (Via PhysOrg)

The Best of Kathryn Muratore