The lab has shown the arachnid application informally at conferences, but hasn't yet published any papers on the program for peer review.

MSN: Virtual Reality Spiders Crawl Toward Phobia Treatment

To find out, I talked to Bailey Klinger, CEO of the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL), which has designed a proprietary psychometric loan application that predicts the business performance and credit worthiness of entrepreneurs based on their attitudes and beliefs, intelligence, business skills, and character.

FORBES: Two Essential Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Sometimes the challenge is to match a Piccolo application to a medical specialty--oncologists, say, who need lots of lab work before administering chemotherapy, or cardiologists, who might buy a machine for its quick lipid readings.

FORBES: 200 Best Small Companies

The first GIA scholarship application cycle for 2012 runs through Oct. 30 for on-campus, distance education and lab classes.

FORBES: GIA Offers Scholarships for Jewelry and Gemology Classes