Technology to Make Airports Safer

Following last week's attacks in New York and Washington DC, everyone is understandably a little concerned about boarding an airplane. While the television reports show that everyone is dealing with the long flight delays that come along with heightened security and safety the best they can, an article on EETimes.com says that a big part of the security problem lies not in a lack of thoroughness on the part of airlines, but the inability of the security devices to sniff out dangerous contraband before bad people board planes. The article says that a variety of nonmetallic weapons like ceramic knives and plastic guns can easily be walked through metal detectors. The solution to this security problem may be new technology (which the FAA has been requesting) that isn't based on sensing metals. One of these solutions is something called millimeter wave technology. According to the article, your body emits radiation in the millimeter-wave range which is on the frequency spectrum between microwaves and infrared waves. If you have something tucked into your belt or hidden in your coat, it blocks the radiation coming out of your body and creates an outline that can be seen on an imaging display. It's an article you might want to check out if your interested in how flying can be made safer through technology in the future. For now, you'll just have to get to the airport earlier and be patient knowing that the searches and delays are necessary to ensure safety.