Much needed inventions

Madsen Pirie is running a series on inventions he'd like to see.

I wish I had half his imagination.

He ranges from the borderline-trivial:

11. Something to pulverize fish bones into fine powder without damaging the soft fish. The lithotripter uses ultrasonics to do this to kidney stones, but I want a commercial one to do this to fish bones in supermarkets, restaurants, and even homes. Gone will be the unpleasantness of finding bones in one's mouth, with the attendant risk of choking. Instead the bone powder will add nourishment to the meal.

to the profound:

14. Something that makes mining easier, less life-threatening to its participants, and with less environmental impact bugs specially tailored to gobble up the coal, copper, manganese or whatever, and sent down to extract the stuff. They are flushed out, the desired resource extracted, and all organized by guys in white coats who are not exposed to the hazards associated with conventional mining.

I love the idea of little microbes in hard hats :-)

First batch (1-5)
Second batch (6-10)
Third batch (11-15)