re TSA to swab airline passengers' hands in search for explosives - CNN.com

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "David P. Reed" <dpreed () reed com>
Date: February 17, 2010 10:15:53 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: Re: [IP] RESEND re TSA to swab airline passengers' hands in search for explosives - CNN.com

What's the scientific testing that demonstrates that such tests are reliable indicators of bomb-wearing?  (False 
negative rate, false positive rate, how many subjects, how many bomb manufacturing and dressing procedures are 
detected, how many are not detected, ...)   I'd bet that the testing involved some small number of "pour standardized 
nitrate over hand" tests, and almost no "test random civilians off the street who happen to be wearing perfume, working 
in factories, or ..." tests.

I sometimes wonder if these artificial nose detectors themselves actually work reliably.  The "dowsing devices" that 
the UK profiteers sold to Iraqi police probably work nearly as well - there might even be  a hidden button to press if 
the person looks Muslim, giving a little boost to the detector reading.  Using such awe-inspiring technology would cut 
mfg. costs and probably work better for security theater than those finicky mass spectrometers and gas chromatographs.  
:-)

Note: I wouldn't say this in the UK, because profitable companies that sell pseudo-scientific crap can sue you for 
libel there, and probably win.  :-)





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