The problem, as Mr. Salzberg will be quick to point out, is that those studies concluded it did not matter where needles were placed or even when toothpicks were used (as in the U.S. study).

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Nevertheless, he and his colleagues seem to have created a powerful tool to assist a process that, despite the hubris that frequently surrounds it, is still quite a lot like looking for needles in haystacks.

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It is also about doing the job more efficiently, for example when looking for needles of evidence in a haystack of documents: rather than relying on a single brilliant mind, Novus Law deploys teams of lawyers using technology and a process involving hundreds of small steps.

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In the five years since its publication, implementation has accelerated, led largely, as it proposed, by private-sector innovation and often stimulated by the institute's " institutional acupuncture": figuring out where the business logic is congested and not flowing properly, and then sticking needles into sensitive sites to get it flowing.

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