Clearing up confusion... (Score 1, Insightful)

First the disclaimer... I am a researcher in a related field and so have a vested interest in the public perception of this technology. That being said... The parent article is somewhat misleading. There are actually two seperate technologies that are being looked at for this application X-ray backscatter and Millimeter-wave... The TSA has a good summary of the difference( http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/body_imaging.shtm) The youtube refenced in the parent article actually shows X-ray backscatter images. The millimeter-wave images are generally much lower resolution (limited by the physics of imaging at these wavelengths) but have the advantage of using a portion of the spectrum where the radiation is completely innocuous from a health perspective. However, both technologies are competing for a market that may not exist if the public backlash is severe. I personally am perplexed by the reactions that some post... Given that some sort of secondary screening is inevitable, would you really rather have a stranger touching you during a pat down than have an individual in another room looking at blurry images of your form.