These days, flying to another city or country involves a lot of waiting in line. First we wait in the TSA line, then–at the end of the trip–we wait in line to get our luggage. When Houston airport started getting complaints from customers about having to wait for their checked baggage to arrive, they increased the number of baggage handlers, but that didn’t help.
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As if X-rays weren’t enough, we have to take our shoes off in an airport. Do we pick up dangerous germs if we’ve forgotten to wear socks? And what about those bins–is the TSA line going to replace hospitals as the new place to catch a superbug?
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When it comes to the scan and the pat down, you should know that there are 244 full-body "backscatter" X-ray scanners in use at 36 airports in the United States. Other airports use millimeter wave scanners, which do not use radiation, or metal detectors.
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The Department of Homeland Security will soon be using a laser at airports that can detect everything about you from over 160 feet away. It can actually read you on a molecular level (in case you’re hiding something in your genes?)
It will be able to read your adrenaline levels (measuring your level of tension and excitement), as well as find traces of drugs and gun powder your clothes, all without a physical search.
The scanner is called the Picosecond Programmable Laser (PPL), and works by blasting its target with lasers which vibrate molecules that are then read by the machine.
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