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The laser lightning rod
and the laser stun gun
One can defend runways and power plants from the much more likely event of lightning strikes. The other can give police a non-lethal recourse when dealing with ongoing street crime.

A frickin' laser defense system to stop missiles?
For what this costs we could have better-trained eyes on the ground and a lot more of them. Terrorism is composed almost entirely of the human element, technology is merely a means to an end. We can keep building gadgets to stop their gadgets and never see an end to the arms race, or we can better prepare our specialists to deal with the human element directly.

AS&E also has a "drive-by scanner" in a van, for covert scanning. This is a higher powered device than the BodySearch. "Although radiation exposure levels are below those specified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the ZBV is not certified as a personnel scanner. Customers planning to operate the system in stationary mode must obtain an exception from government regulations."

Slightly more practical is the RapiScan Secure 1000. It's less bulky than the BodySearch; it's only 80 inches high, so it can be installed with less trouble, although it weighs half a ton. And it only takes 8 seconds per scan. Like the BodySearch, it's a true backscatter X-ray machine, and produces good images through clothing.

Two more generations and these things will be in nightclubs. Here's a paper (in German) with picture of a cute girl seen with a BodySearch machine. So now you know what it shows.

I'm alarmed that they're painting DC minivans with rocket fuel.

1) Don't return to you vehicle while pumping gas, or this could happen to you. At least she thought to release the pump before pulling out the nozzle. Notice that she is wearing long sleeves, temperature is likely low and humidity would be the same. Discharge yourself to the car and pump before reaching for the gas pump nozzle (it is surrounded by gas vapors).

2) Don't pull out the nozzle, or this could happen to you. Leave it in so this will happen.

3) Always fill gas cans on the ground. Metal cans provide a better path to ground helping preventing accumulation of static charge.

4) A good source of information.

Lots of moisture is a problem simply because it promotes corrosion. Yes, some of the metallic pouches are indeed intended to act as cages. There is more than one kind metallic pouch in use. Some only have metal on the outside layer, others integrate it into the plastic and do let it come into contact with the device. Okay, found a link to a detailed explanation here. My god, there's such a thing as an ESD Journal? And I thought that reading Slashdot was bad enough.

We can estimate the extent of hydrogen's contribution by comparing Hindenburg to a helium-filled airship, similarly covered, that similarly burned, as well as using other techniques learned from a lifetime of hydrogen expertise. Note from the article the matter isn't totally resolved, but the current accepted theory agrees with the grandposter.

>> When you're fueling you car, the gasonline doesn't spontaneously ignite with the oxygen in the air, right? Add heat and you've got a fire, though

Sometimes it does, and it doesnt require heat so much as a source of ignition, which could (and has) come from something as innocuous as a cell phone or PDA. Granted, there's heat produced
in the spark, but my point is people seem to think you need an open flame to ignite gasoline.

Refueling fires are something that's going to become more and more of a problem, as self-serve gas stations are now ubiquitous, and few motorists understand or practice even the most basic safety procedures.

Noone should be in the vehicle while fueling, it should be off (that means all electrical systems like stereos and video games and turn signals) and there should be no source of ignition in the vicinity.

And yet, just today while gassing up, I saw some tool filling his tank with a lit cigarette in his mouth, and two young kids in the back seat (right over the tank).

end of rant.