This Laser Can Instantly, Remotely Scan You For Drugs or Explosives

I must say, I would be OK with this. Assuming false positives don't become a serious problem.

This system would be vastly cheaper, smaller, easier to maintain, less obtrusive, easier to man, and probably most importantly...it would go a long ways to returning airports back to normal. It's been almost 11 years, can we please stop letting Bin Laden win? Hasn't he won enough?

Flying shouldn't be an ordeal. Security is fine, when it does not interfere with what they are trying to secure. Current security measures are killing our aviation industry, and really...they are doing nothing of worth.

/sigh

With the previous PoPSCi article of areal drones flying across the USA, now they can land ontop of a building and scan the citizens on the ground for drugs. Oh yes, without a warrent. Which is the point of doing this 150 away, without a warrant and knowledge to the person being scanned.

So I wonder if it will hurt as the laser bores through my body to find the cocaine on the dollar bill in my wallet?

Maybe they can detect biological matter on the hands that leave the airport restroom without washing, because that is what this story smells like to me.

This can't be used to scan everyone on the street. You must have probable cause a crime was committed before executing a search.

Vapur9,
The anti terroist laws say YES than can scan people, and all conversations with or without a warrant...

www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/

Remember, legally we have been and at war on drugs.
So at war with drugs and terroist, the law DOES have the power to monitor YOU with or without an warrant.

Fact, we are LEGALLY at WAR with DRUGS. The laws are clearly established.

Whether you validate the use of this under the War on Drugs, War on Terror, War on Unicorns, or whatever, it's not technically a violation of privacy.

The most efficient use of this technology would be to have it scanning (panning back and forth in front of or on the side of) a corridor like a border crossing or security checkpoint. As it's scanning it only measures percentages of how much of a substance it can detect. If it picks up something, then you have a reason to search an individual or a group of individuals. It's no different than walking through a metal detector or having sniffer dogs walking through a crowd. It's just WAY more accurate (I Hope).

This tech might be a HUGE inconvenience to someone that has friends that are into some illicit behavior, but it would make us all a lot safer.

I agree, this smells like poo poo...

At the least I find it a bit hard to believe a laser is going to penetrate my clothing and wallet to pick up trace amounts of whatever on a dollar bill. I mean, lasers are pretty powerful devices, especially when you mount them to the heads of sharks, but photons do have their limitations.

This laser, like most others, probably won't 'penetrate' anything; volatile compounds become a vapor around you, and linger in air you've recently moved through.

Send out a pulse of light of known frequency, get back spectroscopic reflections from whatever molecules it comes into contact with.

Honestly, I don't like the idea of it being implemented in public at all. In secure buildings, government, border crossing, etc, sure, I guess.... but on the street? through your house windows?

what happens if you just so happen to emit a foul-smelling gas from uranus, as you casually stroll by the laser sniffer?

I do not do or am i around anyone who does drugs nore do i blow stuff up. i think in it's right atmosphere this is a great idea. underpants bomber beware. i beleave technology is a great thing. I for 1 would feel safer with this thing in our airports and border crossings, just think how much safer or railways would be also. I can't wait for this thing to be implicated.

Nevermind that 3 out of 5 dollar bills in circulation currently have traces of coke and/or other illicit substances. This would prove nothing. Of course, bombs are not coke...

Humans are the only creatures on this planet that claim a God, and also the only creatures that habitually act like there isn't one.

But on the bright side: Star Trek sensors!!!

Humans are the only creatures on this planet that claim a God, and also the only creatures that habitually act like there isn't one.

"Assuming false positives don't become a serious problem."

Court cases have shown that as much as 80 percent of all US currency in circulation is tainted by detectable drug residue. You are a walking false positive.