Science in Seconds - Bomb Detection

Science in Seconds Know Everything RAVES – Bomb Detection Torah Kachur: Bomb detection is becoming so extreme that flights of luggage-free naked people doesn't seem so farfetched. What's the best way to find bombs without nudity? The research wing of the American Military, or DARPA, has funneled almost $19 billion into better ways to find bombs. One DARPA-funded initiative was a bomb-sniffing robot, ironically called "Fido". It has been in place since 2007 in Iraq. But Fido was clumsy, expensive and breaks down often. Another program, called RealNose, relies on bio-mimicry to create portable electronic odor sniffers, mimicking the two billion odor receptors of dogs. Other handheld bomb detection devices used silicon nanowires to sniff out bomb chemicals at a few parts per trillion. One of the more unorthodox ideas from the DARPA billions uses bees to search for bombs. Yes, honeybees, incredible scent detectors and highly mobile. Except swarms of bees at border crossings and airports aren't really that desirable. But let's not forget about man's best friend: Fluffy. Dogs can detect bomb chemicals to almost the same levels as the handhelds and dogs are faster, more agile, can sense danger and or just, well, cuddlier. After $19 billion, the commander of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization admitted that dogs are the best detectors. That's that, DARPA? Courtesy of Science in Seconds – All rights reserved Only for educational/non-profit purposes. (Translators are invited to put their name here)