3 ms·
Well, I was more specifically replying to the comment "It is the cellulose in the paper. Blocks of it are homogenous enough that they look similar in density to
by csydas 9y ago
Well, I was more specifically replying to the comment "It is the cellulose in the paper. Blocks of it are homogenous enough that they look similar in density to something dangerous."
Every time I've seen it on the scanners here, or the glimpses I've seen at airports last I was in the US, usually it's very clear what you're looking at - books and other paper products are plain to see.
If they obfuscate, sure, possibly. But just from personal experience it doesn't seem like it would be indistinguishable.
I'm not saying that these tools are infallible by any means, just that the particular claim didn't mesh with my experience.
- learc83 9y agoAn x-ray only shows density. 2 equally dense objects will look the same regardless of chemical composition. What you're likely seeing is computer enhanced images, which may be giving you a false sense of the capabilities of x-rays. There are explosives with densities fairly similar to paper. A block of those explosives, and a block of paper would look very similar on an x-ray.