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Explosives Detection Breakthrough Via Green Laser

Posted by timothy on from the stuff-that-blows-up dept.

retiarius writes "In keeping with celebrating the USA's National Chemistry Week (aside from watching the hitcount for Tom Lehrer's very chemical music video at CD Baby), I'm duly impressed by an amazingly simple new way to detect explosives at a distance -- just use a store-bought presentation green laser pointer and some dimestore infrared night vision glasses! The (alas, patentable) details are in this week's EE Times."

1 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Doesn't chaff defeat any detection device? by patniemeyer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I've always wondered about this... Whether it's dogs sniffing drugs or million dollar machines sniffing for explosives - Why don't the bad guys just contaminate the entire area so that you can't use the detector? I mean, wouldn't somebody walking around spilling some nitrate material all over the airport carpets just ruin that airport permanently?

    If it's so sensitive that the bad guys can't cleanse themselves of it, how could one possibly clean an entire airport?

    Pat