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As lithium batteries are opaque to X-Rays, perhaps a ban on laptops with batteries should be considered. This will surely push for standard swappable batteries
by fpoling 9y ago
As lithium batteries are opaque to X-Rays, perhaps a ban on laptops with batteries should be considered. This will surely push for standard swappable batteries and standard power supplies so the laptops could be used on board without batteries.
- tsaoutourpants 9y agoWhat? No, that's a wholly unnecessary solution (though more standardization of batteries would certainly be nice). Swab the outside of the laptop for bomb residue, which would be especially difficult to clean from a laptop because the stronger solvents to clean with (like acetone) would mark the plastic. Or hire more dogs. Or make a "puffer machine" for laptops (blasts with air and then samples the air for explosive trace). Or come up with another solution -- this is HN! :)
- rwmj 9y agoDoes swabbing work? I can imagine that the "batteries" (ie bomb) would be prepared, sealed and cleaned by one person, and then inserted into the laptop by another person so there's no contamination.
- tsaoutourpants 9y agoIt's hard to remove all trace, but yes, in theory you could avoid it by being really careful. Then again, if you work in a "bomb factory," there's trace everywhere, so it may be quite difficult. Also, the "turn on your device" thing they sometimes do offers some mitigation against this. Obviously, you can think of ways that may defeat this too, but to defeat all of the security, accurately, in one small package that doesn't look sketchy, is not easy. Fortunately, most terrorists are not the brightest people in the world.
- kmonsen 9y agoAsking people to turn on the device seems stupid. Just do half battery half bomb and make it functional enough it will work for 10 min.
- _ph_ 9y agoThat would already cut the amount of explosives in half. Modern laptop batteries are not exactly huge to start with. So it is much less likely to do big damage to the airplane. Add to that, it is not trivial to make a battery half the size which still has enough voltage to power the laptop - you would need cells half the size for that. And all bombings of airplanes have been done with bombs in the cargo bay.
- dfox 9y agoTypical laptop battery has pairs of cells in parallel, so removing half of them is trivial.
- borplk 9y agoIs the puffer machine a thing? Or you just came up with it?
- tsaoutourpants 9y agoThey had puffer machines for people in 2006. They stopped using them because they required regular maintenance. Then they replaced them with the body scanners, which cost more than the puffer machine and a full time maintenance person in every airport in the country combined.
- mikeyouse 9y agoNope, they're a thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffer_machine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffer_machine > The machine operates by releasing multiple puffs of air at a passenger who is standing upright within the machine. This will flush out any particles on the person inside the machine then analyze and identify them in seconds.[6] According to an article in the 16 June, 2005, New York Times, it is capable of screening up to 180 passengers an hour.[7] This sample is then analyzed using IMS or MS technology to search for specific explosive or narcotic compounds. If a substance of concern is detected, the security personnel are notified by a visible and/or audible alarm.
- wwwv 9y agoThey are not opaque to X-Rays, much less the ludicrous penetrating power used in baggage inspection. Baggage X-rays can happily penetrate inches of metal, nothing short of lead brick will obscure contents and that's going to raise other questions. Where did you get that nonsense from?
- tsaoutourpants 9y agoX-ray machines have to be calibrated. While you could turn up the power to see through metal, you would then be unable to see the less dense items. This makes it difficult to do a full inspection in the few seconds that the screener has.
- tantalor 9y ago>Where did you get that nonsense from From the article: "since lithium batteries are completely opaque to x-rays"
- tsaoutourpants 9y agoI probably should have been more clear that they are completely opaque to the x-ray systems commonly in use in airports for carry-on screenings at their standard intensity setting(s). But that's a mouthful.
- valuearb 9y agoYes, we should ban lithium batteries because to make flying more inconvenient even though it is safer than it's ever been. Everyone can go around with battery-less laptops so they can't use them in the few planes that get retrofit, and no other place without plugs.