Caveat: the tech I'm referring to scans a portion of your wrist and identifies each person uniquely by the veins visible there (rather than in one's palm). However... similar, no? (I suppose since one's wrist is clearly different than one's palm, the tech I'm thinking of is not a case of actual prior art).

ATMs (though, in my experience, not all of them) in South Korea have offered identification by veins (in one's wrist) for about 10 years or so, apparently with no problems - according to Namuwiki: https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%A0%95%...

I've seen these scanners on ATMs here and wondered who use this option for identification (though I haven't used such myself). I suppose, however, any patent Amazon obtains would only be invalidated by prior US art, related to the palm; is that right?

If one has read their Richard Dawkins properly (for example "The Blind Watchmaker" or, for starters, "The Selfish Gene"), one would know several good reasons for why "Intelligent Design" is not a suitable argument for anything.

For one, though haven't seen it mentioned here yet, the argument of calling in God (or a supreme being who designed the immensely complex universe that has been indicated as requiring a designer to have come into existence) begs the question of WHO designed the DESIGNER? I mean, come on, those "Intelligent Design"ers have got to realize they've made the whole situation worse, for now they have an even bigger, more immensely complex thing to explain -- who made GOD?

Dawkins, in "The Blind Watchmaker" points out a softer version (not his exact words) of Intelligent Design" that's termed "guided evolution". In essense, the IDers decided that, "OKay, so maybe evolution has something going for it. But I still say that God advantageously guided the evolution of creatures to make them the way they are now."

Hah, the logic here is, well, missing.

In essence, I think if we want to find a good question for debate amongst political candidates, we should throw in a good question or two from Dawkins. He really knows how to get right to the point.