Detection

New report paints dire picture of Japanese Fukushima response
A new report reveals that last year’s nuclear crisis at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi atomic energy plant was dangerously close to spiraling out of control as senior officials bickered internally, lacked critical information on the extent of the damage, and covertly considered the possibility of evacuating Tokyo
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Trinity University students help raise bomb sniffing dog
With the help of students at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, Jjurgens is being trained to fight against terrorism; Jjurgens, a four-month old yellow Labrador retriever, is the only dog in the United States being fostered at a university or school under the Transportation Security Administration Canine Breeding and Development Center program
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Detecting explosives from a distance with laser beams
Scientists have found a way to detect chemicals over long distances, even if they are enclosed in containers; the scientists tested the system by trying to detect frequently used explosives, such as TNT, ANFO, or RDX from a distance – and the tests were successful
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Rats trained to detect explosives
Bomb sniffing dogs could be a thing of the past thanks to explosives seeking rats; unlike dogs, when rats detect sensitive explosives like land mines they rarely set them off as they weigh less than pound
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U.S. helps Ukraine detect dirty bombs at Euro 2012 tournament
In advance of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament in Ukraine, security officials are stocking up on radiation detectors due to growing concerns of a dirty bomb attack during the event
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Universal Detection developing smartphone radiation scanner for food
In the wake of Japan’s nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic energy plant, concerns over contaminated food supplies have swept the nation, sparking Universal Detection Technology to develop a smartphone radiation detector specifically designed for comestibles
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Nuclear accident reawakens California’s anti-nuke movement
Following the discovery of a small leak at a nuclear power plant near San Diego, California in January, the state’s anti-nuclear movement has hit a fever pitch
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Fukushima accident caused only low levels of fallout in U.S.
Fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power facility in Japan was measured in minimal amounts in precipitation in the United States in about 20 percent of 167 sites
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End of Utah’s chemical weapons stockpile signals end of federal grants
As the last of Utah’s chemical weapons stockpile is destroyed, the millions of dollars that have flowed into the state from federal grants will begin to disappear along with thousands of jobs
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Growing ubiquity of X-ray scanners could pose public health risk
Body scanners are now routinely deployed in airports, border check points, and even the streets of some American cities; with the use of X-ray scanners by law enforcement agencies becoming increasingly commonplace, health advocates worry that the additional radiation exposure could pose a health risk; repeated exposures to low-doses of radiation can lead to cancer; currently federal health standards are primarily limited to medical X-rays and since the body scanners do not fall under this category, the decision on where and how to use the devices is entirely up to security officials
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Advanced forensic tool for the battlefield
A forensic tool could soon make the analysis of evidence faster and more accurate, giving military investigators an advantage in the wars against drugs and terror
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Nuclear accidents pose “essentially zero risk" to public health
A new study by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concluded that there is only a “very small” risk to public health if a severe nuclear accident were to occur in the United States
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New technology will allow miniaturization of chemical sensors
A new measuring technology – based on measuring near-resonant nonlinear behaviors rather than measuring chemomechanically induced shifts in linear natural frequency – will allow a dramatic miniaturization of sensors; the miniaturization will make these sensors more suitable for first response, law enforcement, and military missions
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Scientists develop new concrete corrosion sensors
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in developing sensors which dramatically improve the ability to spot early warning signs of corrosion in concrete; the sensors will make monitoring the safety of structures such as bridges and vital coastal defenses much more effective
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Inspectors uncover Qaddafi’s hidden WMD stockpile
Last week international weapons inspector found clear evidence that the late Libyan dictator Moammar Qaddafi had large caches of hidden chemical weapons, despite making a promise to destroy all weapons of mass destruction weapons in 2004
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