Wednesday, February 20, 2002

FA FA FA --I THINK: Globe And Mail story on a new security scanner that acts like you wished those X-ray specs in the Johnson-Smith catalog worked:

ABC's TechTV recently reported that one system being studied is a holographic scanner capable of producing 3D, computer-generated, fully nude images of people who pass through the device.

The report said a circular Holographic Imaging System has been in development at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Kennewick, Wash., since 1989. The FAA is considering the scanner as a next-generation replacement for magnetic scanners now used in U.S. airports.

Although it can't produce a skeletal image the way an X-ray does, the scanner would produce images that would leave little to the imagination.

While effective, the technology raises major privacy concerns. Even at a low resolution, an operator can see not only concealed weapons but also the entire surface of the naked body, according to TechTV's report. It is safe to assume that most people would object to a virtual strip-search every time they travelled on an airplane.


Via Fark. All my adolescent fantasies are coming true. Except the one involving Deborah Norville. Unless I'm flying with her. Never mind.

No comments: