RFID
From the New York times this morning, more news that the American public can’t get past the headlines as the first paragraph of an article on drug manufacturers states: “The Food and Drug Administration and several major drug makers are expected to announce initiatives today that will put tiny radio antennas on the labels of millions of medicine bottles to combat counterfeiting and fraud.”
You have to read quite a ways into the article for the paragraph that says: “Counterfeit drugs are still comparatively rare in the United States, but federal officials say the problem is growing. Throughout the 1990’s, the F.D.A. pursued about five cases of counterfeit drugs every year.” This number has increased some in this century, probably more due to the expense of Viagra and Oxycontin than anything else. You create a market, and it will be filled – the thin edge of the wedge described by Orwell is driving home deeper.