Within the next twelvemonth or two , the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will instantly know everything about your consistence , clothes , and luggage with a newfangled optical maser - free-base molecular scanner fire from 164 foot ( 50 metre ) away . From traces of drugs or gun gunpowder on your clothes to what you had for breakfast to the adrenaline level in your physical structure — agents will be able to get any data they want without even touching you .
And without you eff it .
The engineering is so incredibly effective that , in November 2011 , its inventors weresubcontracted by In - Q - Telto work with the US Department of Homeland Security . In - Q - Tel is a company founded “ in February 1999 by a chemical group of secret citizensat the request of the Director of the CIA and with the support of the U.S. Congress . ” According to In - Q - Tel , they are the bridge between the Agency and newfangled applied science troupe .
Their plan is to set up this molecular - grade scanning in airports and delimitation crossings all across the United States . The official , stated goal of this arrangement is to be able to quickly key out explosives , dangerous chemicals , or bioweapons at a distance .
The political machine is ten million clock time faster — and one million metre more sore — than any currently available system . That intend that it can be used systematically on everyone go through airport security , not just mistrust or at random sampled people .
Analyzing everything in real time
But the automobile can sniff out a lot more than just explosives , chemicals and bioweapon . The companionship that cook up it , Genia Photonics , say that its laser scanner technology is capable to “ penetrate clothing and many other organic textile and provide spectroscopic info , especially for materials that impact safety such as explosives and pharmacological substances . ” [ PDF ]
Formed in Montreal in 2009 by PhDs with specialization in lasers and fiber oculus , Genia Photonics has 30 patents on this technology , claiming unbelievable biomedical and industrial software — from identifying single cancer cells in a real - time scan of a patient , to detect trace amounts of harmful chemical substance in sore fabrication process .
Above : The Genia Photonics ’ Picosecond Programmable Laser scanner is capable of detecting every tiny ghost of any substance on your physical structure , from specks of gunpowder to your adrenaline levels to a kale - sized caryopsis of cannabis to what you had for breakfast .
Meanwhile , In - Q - Tel states that “ an authoritative benefit of Genia Photonics ’ implementation as compared to existing solutions is that the entire synchronized laser arrangement is comprised in a single , full-bodied and alignment - free unit that may be easily channelize for employment in many environments … This compact and robust laser has the power to rapidly sweep wavelengths in any pattern and sequence . ” [ PDF ]
So not only can they read everyone . They would be able-bodied to do it everywhere : the subway system , a dealings luminance , sports outcome … everywhere .
How does it work?
The automobile is a wandering , rack - mountable system of rules . It fires a laser to provide molecular - spirit level feedback at distances of up to 50 beat in just picoseconds . For all intents and purposes , that mean instantly .
The small , inconspicuous machine is attach to a computer running a program that will show the information in substantial time , from trace amounts of cocaine on your dollar bills to gunpowder residue on your shoes . blank out trying to sneak a bottle of weewee preceding security — they will be able to recount what you had for breakfast in an jiffy while you ’re walk down the hallway .
The technology is not new , it ’s just zillion times quicker and more commodious than ever before . Back in 2008 , ateam at George Washington Universitydeveloped a similar optical maser spectrometer using a different process . It could sense drug metabolite in piss in less than a 2d , trace amounts of volatile residue on a dollar Federal Reserve note , and even sure chemical changes occur in a plant leaf .
And the Russians alsohave a similar engineering : announced last April , their “ optical maser sensor can pick up on a single molecule in a million from up to 50 meters out . ”
So if Genia Photonics ’ title pan out , this will be an incredible leap forrard in terminus of focal ratio , portability , and convenience . One with astounding implications .
Observation without limits
There has so far been no give-and-take about the personal rights and privateness issues involved . Which “ molecular rag ” will they be scanning for ? Who square up them ? What are the room access level of this scanning ? If you unknowingly stepped on the butt of someone ’s joint and are carry a sugar - sized grain of cannabis like thatunfortunate traveller currently in jail in Dubai , will you be arrested ?
And , since it ’s extremely portable , will this technology extend beyone the airport or edge crossings and into police cars , with officers looking for the great unwashed on the street with increased levels of epinephrin in their arrangement to confine for prevent potential tearing outbursts ? And will your car be scanned at stoplight for any trace amount of leery nitty-gritty ? Would all this information be enter anywhere ?
Above : A page from a Genia Photonics theme describing its power to even pervade through vesture .
There are a lot of question with no reply yet , but it ’s obvious that the potential level of personal intrusion of this technology goes far beyond that of body scan , wiretaps , and GPS tracking .
The end of privacy coming soon
According to the undersecretary for science and technology of the Department of Homeland Security , this scan technology will be quick within one to two twelvemonth , which stand for you might start seeing them in airports as soon as 2013 .
In other Son , these portable , fantastically exact molecular - level scanning devices will be cascading optical maser across your soundbox as you take the air from the bathroom to the tonic machine at the airport and instantly reporting and storing a elaborated breakdown of your person , in search of sure “ molecular tags ” .
plump well beyond eavesdropping , it seems quite possible that U.S. government plans on recording molecular data on traveler without their consent , or even knowledge that it ’s possible — a scary thought . While the medical United States could revolutionise the style medico name malady , and any engineering that could replace an aggressive pat - down is tempting , there ’s a possible dark side to this implementation , and we postulate to radiate some brightness on it before it ’s implemented .
The author of this story is currently discharge his PhD in renewable energy solutions , focus on converting waste to energy in the urban environment . Even while most of this information is publically usable , he wanted to remain anonymous .
Image byoleandra / Shutterstock
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