Science in Seconds - Bomb Detection
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Science in Seconds
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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?
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