Why not radio-wave scanners?

[ginnyinWI]

Why do we have to have the kind that use radiation? I don't care what they say about "insignificant amounts": my husband works with medical scanners, and knows that these things can be mis-calibrated. I've had enough radiation in my lifetime, thanks, and who knows how much more I'll need to have in the future for medical reasons? Radiation is cumulative, and I only want to subject myself to it if absolutely necessary.

http://nuclear-news.net/2010/01/15/doctor-recommends-radio-wave-airport-scanners-not-x-ray-radiation-ones/

[Bill McBlueState]

1. radio waves are radiation...

:shrug:

[ginnyinWI]

2. radio waves do not use x-ray ionizing radiation. n/t

[Bill McBlueState]

5. true

But neither do the millimeter-wave machines.

I suppose that of the machines currently in use, the millimeter-wave machines are less likely to be dangerous than the x-ray machines.

[leveymg]

7. A radio transmitter will "cook" your gizzards just as effectively as gamma rays, if the watts are

sufficient, and the wavelength are those that are absorbed by (and heat up) human tissues. See, on these health issues related to electromagnetic radiation, AK State Health Dept., http://labor.state.ak.us/lss/pads/radio.htm

[FarCenter]

10. Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven after he accidently melted a candy bar in his pocket

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Spencer

He died at age 76, long after standing in front of a magnetron emitting radar-lenght microwaves, which melted a candy bar in his pocket.

If microwaves were really very dangerous, there would be a lot more dead electrical engineers and radar technicians. OTOH, you can go blind by cooking the vitreous humor in your eyeballs.

[zipplewrath]

3. Wave length

Figure out how small of an object you want to "see", and the wave length of the scan has to be shorter than that. X-rays are measured in nano meters. "Radio" waves are measured in whole meters.

[leveymg]

4. Maybe, you meant sonar? If you want to look inside people, use a sonogram.

I guess that would be a rational alternative to the backscatter X-ray machines.

[EFerrari]

6. Because then Skeletor doesn't make a dime. We should just save a bunch of trouble

and have a Michael Chertoff tax on airplane tickets.

[Hawkowl]

8. Used as detonators

Radio waves, e.g; cell phones, garage door openers, have been commonly used as detonating devices for I.E.D's. So, theoretically a radio wave scanner could blow up the bomber through his underwear. Now, I'm not saying this is a bad idea. It would be better to detonate the bomber in the security line, rather than at 35,000 feet.

[Canuckistanian]

13. Cell phone detonators don't work that way

You can't just blast them with radio waves and expect them to do something, like trigger a bomb. They need special digital signals and encryption codes.

Most cell phone bomb devices are simple - just wire the trigger to the cell phone ringer... and then call the cell phone's number.

[MiniMe]

9. Why not using dogs as detection sniffers

They are much more effective than radiating the public

[somone]

11. Microwaves and x-rays are both electromagnetic radiation - just different wavelengths

Microwaves agitate molecules and heat them up, whereas x-rays - which are much more energetic - ionize molecules and can actually mess up your DNA machinery and cause mutations. The damage depends on your cumulative exposure.

[pgodbold]

12. What frequency can we use to see if there is anything in the pope's head? nt

[pokerfan]

14. Terahertz imaging can get down to about 100 microns

but your application will require instrumetation on the order of a picometer.

Go http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/">here and move the slider.