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LA Airport Uses Random Numbers To Catch Terrorists

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the better-than-searching-me-whenever-i-have-a-beard dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is using randomization software to determine the location and timing of security checkpoints and patrols. The theory is that random security will make it impossible for terrorists to predict the actions of security forces. The ARMOR software, written by computer scientists at the University of Southern California, was initially developed to solve a problem in game theory. Doctoral student Praveen Paruchuri wrote algorithms on how an agent should react to an opponent who has perfect information about the agent's choices."

8 of 321 comments (clear)

  1. Security Through Obscurity! by he1icine · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sorry it had to be said.

    --
    Ignorance is the Agent of Fear; Fear Is the Agent of Violence - >1
    1. Re:Security Through Obscurity! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      So, to be exact, the security staff is going to play DnD?

      Staff sergeant: "Ok, Ralph" *rolls dice* "you are going to move 4 feet to the left."

    2. Re:Security Through Obscurity! by bhebing · · Score: 5, Funny

      If they use your comma placement as a random seed, the system will be absolutely secure.

  2. Behind the scenes in Homeland Security... by StandardCell · · Score: 5, Funny

    [Tour of Accounting] Accounting Troll: "Over here we have our random number generator" Number Generator Troll: "Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine" Dilbert: "Are you sure that's random?" Accounting Troll: "That's the problem with randomness: you can never be sure"

    1. Re:Behind the scenes in Homeland Security... by smallfries · · Score: 4, Funny

      On a similar vein:

      int numCheckpointsToday()
      {
                return 0; // This is a random number chosen by a fair method
      }

      (With apologies to xkcd).

      --
      Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
  3. Re:Doesn't Microsoft hold patents on that? by JackMeyhoff · · Score: 5, Funny

    Somebody ban him for actually reading an article

    --
    http://www.rense.com/general79/wdx1.htm
  4. Why not? by mmell · · Score: 4, Funny

    They apparently already use a random number generator to determine when flights will leave.

  5. Re:wily terrorists by Nibbler999 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's hope they roll 3 doubles.