11–20 of 44 posts
I wonder how much of a dose of radiation they exposed themselves (or their grad students) to while researching this?
Hi! Lead author here. We only had a person in front of the X-ray scanner a few times, to minimize exposure. Most of the time we scanned a radiological "phantom", which is designed to look exactly like a human under the X-ray spectrum.
I wanna know how this kind of experiment actually works. > Bill: "Hey Joe, we're gonna do an experiment, and we need you to smuggle a chainsaw through airport security." > Joe: "All right. Hold my sign, I don't wanna lose it." > TSA: "Is this a chainsaw?" > Joe: "I'm a researcher, I swear." > TSA: "Likely story. FULL CAVITY SEARCH, FELLAS." > Bill: "Hmm, that didn't work. Next up, flamethrowers. Hey Frank..."
They would have used their own machine in a controlled setting to ensure it's the machine they're testing, not the temperament of the TSA agents ...the University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins plans to reveal their own results from months of testing that same model of scanner
I wanna know how this kind of experiment actually works. > Bill: "Hey Joe, we're gonna do an experiment, and we need you to smuggle a chainsaw through airport security." > Joe: "All right. Hold my sign, I don't wanna lose it." > TSA: "Is this a chainsaw?" > Joe: "I'm a researcher, I swear." > TSA: "Likely story. FULL CAVITY SEARCH, FELLAS." > Bill: "Hmm, that didn't work. Next up, flamethrowers. Hey Frank..."
They would have used their own machine in a controlled setting to ensure it's the machine they're testing, not the temperament of the TSA agents ...the University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins plans to reveal their own results from months of testing that same model of scanner
The article notes the $1 billion spent to deploy the machines, and later states that these machines are no longer in use. What is left unsaid is the cost to deploy the machines that replaced this model–suggesting another billion spent on more security theatre.
The Secure 1000s have been removed; the L3 ProVisions are still deployed in airports.
But then you see the stories about people who are in the right, and are complying with the TSA procedures (going as far as having letters from TSA) who get terrible treatment.
It is disappointing just how compliant people are with the stupid procedures. But then you see the stories about people who are in the right, and are complying with the TSA procedures (going as far as having letters from TSA) who get terrible treatment. http://rt.com/usa/154672-tsa-breast-milk-settlement/
The procedures may be stupid, but people do weight the options and can be surprisingly rational given that set of choices.
Given a choice of "get scanned and get on the plane" or "instigate an armed overthrow of the TSA checkpoint" I'm probably going to go with getting on the plane myself.
It is disappointing just how compliant people are with the stupid procedures. But then you see the stories about people who are in the right, and are complying with the TSA procedures (going as far as having letters from TSA) who get terrible treatment. http://rt.com/usa/154672-tsa-breast-milk-settlement/
It sucks, but you really have very few alternatives, only 1 of which will actually get you onto the plane so you can get to where you're going and most of which will ensure you'll never get on a plane again. The procedures may be stupid, but people do weight the options and can be surprisingly rational given that set of choices. Given a choice of "get scanned and get on the plane" or "instigate an armed overthrow of…
It is disappointing just how compliant people are with the stupid procedures. But then you see the stories about people who are in the right, and are complying with the TSA procedures (going as far as having letters from TSA) who get terrible treatment. http://rt.com/usa/154672-tsa-breast-milk-settlement/
It sucks, but you really have very few alternatives, only 1 of which will actually get you onto the plane so you can get to where you're going and most of which will ensure you'll never get on a plane again. The procedures may be stupid, but people do weight the options and can be surprisingly rational given that set of choices. Given a choice of "get scanned and get on the plane" or "instigate an armed overthrow of…