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Berkeley study shows humans as natural scent trackers
Student test subjects put their nose to the ground to find chocolate; after training, results dramatically improved; new discovery holds insight for the explosives detection business
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BWX fined for improperly disassembling nuclear warheads
Employees three times applied too much pressure to a W56 warhead; detonation a real possibility after safety mechanism fails; watchdog group says company forced workers to stay on the job 72 hours each week; BWX to pay $110,000, partly for not properly reporting the incidents
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DHS solicits bids for long-range radiation detectors
$25 million at stake for a lucky company; system must distinguish between naturally occurring radioactive material and medical isotopes; prototype must be compatible with an existing vehicle-sized detector; bids due at the end of January
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Dayton positions itself as a sensor center
Ohio’s Third Frontier Commission awards $28 million for the development of a sensor technology research center; business partners include Woolpert, General Dynamics, UES, YSI, and L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics
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RAE Systems in coal-mine safety China venture
Chinca holds the unenviable world record in coal-mine accidents; RAE Systems has formed a joint venture in China, aiming to translate its expertise in developing multi-sensor chemical and radiation detection monitors into coal-mine safety solutions and products
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Berkeley Nucleonics radiation portal handles moving vehicles with ease
Unlike its competitors, the Flexible Illicit Nuclear Detection system can detect dirty bombs in moving traffic; system adaptable for mail parcel facilities, bulk cargo, and small water-borne vessels
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Nuctech to install liquid bomb detectors ahead of China Olympics
Not coincidentally, contract goes to company headed by the son of China’s president; terms are undisclosed, but 147 airports will receive scanners normally priced at $200,000 per unit; company already controls 90 percent of the domestic scanner market
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Frost and Sullivan offers report on WMD detection market
Business is booming, particularly in the federal sector; some end users, however, are shying away from the sometimes unreliable technology; research firm suggests industry needs better PR
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DHS names six ports to kick-start the Secure Freight Initiative
Port Qasim, Puerto Cortes, and Port Salalah among the first to install radiation detection equipment; DHS allocates $60 million to buy the equipment; Dubai Ports once again in the news, but nobody has yet to complain; only 7 percent of outgoing cargo to be inspected
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Russian poisoning deaths shed light on radioactive dangers
Many radioactive materials are easily bought from scientific supply companies; one retailer posts an on-line note defending polonium sales; americium from smoke detectors remains a slight risk
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Los Alamos looks to create self-disabling nuclear warheads
Under a secret three year program, scientists have been working on methods to automatically destroy a warhead if it is stolen or tampered with; though details are secret, method might involve an acid that destroys the mechanisms and contaminates the radiactive core
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Colorado researchers produce a better chemical warfare suit
Conventional butyl rubber is blended with polymerizable liquid crystal; water transfer rates and permeability substantially improved, allowing for lighter and safer suits; other applications include filters for brine and contaminated water
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Los Alamos perfects bee explosives detection teams
Based on research done by UK-based Inscentinel, government entymologists train bees with sugar water to detect bombs and IEDs; four bees are placed in a small box monitored by image recognition software; when explosives are detected, the bees extend their proboscises and trigger an alarm
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RedXDefense signs an event-security deal with DHS
Kiosks arranged around event perimeter use trace explosives technology to screen ticketholders; those who pass are issued a “Keepsake” that acts as both souvenir and security authorization
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The long view
What We’ve Learned from Survivors of the Atomic Bombs
Q&A with Dr. Preetha Rajaraman, New Vice Chair for the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.