Some Nifty Screening Toys

August 10, 2006 3:17 AM

Photo-like X-ray backscattters(even from mobile units), explosive trace portals, CT scanning, and real-time discrimination software clearly reveal such threats as radioactive materials, explosives and key bomb ingredients, chemical weapons, human cargo, weapons and drugs. Even "single molecule biology" analyzers are being developed to detect biological weapons.
posted by CodeBaloo (12 comments total)

Oddly enough, I was assembling this post when a coworker came out from the employee lounge with news of the British terrorist arrests.
posted by CodeBaloo at 3:35 AM on August 10, 2006

Total Recall is here!
posted by beerbajay at 5:08 AM on August 10, 2006

Did you list X-ray specks?
posted by pracowity at 5:37 AM on August 10, 2006

The Terahertz Scanner also seems cool.
posted by econous at 5:47 AM on August 10, 2006

Ah, the X-ray specks link provided by pracowity is about the same technology, and a nicer read to boot.
posted by econous at 5:50 AM on August 10, 2006

I'm sure I've read recently of worries that passengers will essentially be naked to inspectors. What technology is that?
posted by pracowity at 6:11 AM on August 10, 2006

These X-ray specks do indeed seem impressive:

The goggles would emit terahertz radiation, ultra-fast beams of light, which would bounce off...

Truly the stuff of science fiction!
posted by nowonmai at 7:33 AM on August 10, 2006

And yet, you can use and item as simple as a drinking straw as a weapon.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:50 AM on August 10, 2006

Somewhat off topic: The "human cargo" photo is quite distressing. To be in a hot, dark, crate and entombed on all sides by thousands of pounds of bananas; I can think of nothing more terrifying.

All in pursuit of the American Dream, as it were.
posted by aladfar at 8:11 AM on August 10, 2006

Come to think of it, I walked through TSA screening with a sharpened pencil tucked behind my ear -- I'd been working on a crossword puzzle -- and was stopped only because my stainless steel wristwatch triggered the metal detector.
posted by pax digita at 9:26 AM on August 10, 2006

Sure. And yet, I'm certain that the next time I take my baby with me on a plane, some security guy's going to insist that I taste the breastmilk in her bottle in case it contains said "biological weapons".
posted by drmarcj at 5:12 PM on August 10, 2006

Pax Digita - a sharpened pencil is a weapon of math instruction.
posted by kcds at 3:44 AM on August 11, 2006