Why Airport Security Suddenly Got Better

Just a quick PSA. Not all airports have changed policy to allow water/liquids. I got the water through in Shannon airport in Ireland. Check your local airports policy before trying

Real Engineering: here are some papers, equations, graphs and tables explaining exactly how these machines work Half as Interesting: "So I sent my outside correspondant Amy through airport security with two kitchen knives, a bomb, and a water bottle filled with gasoline"

It's good to hear they're getting more efficient at security theater. I'll keep watching them confiscate nail clippers and grenade shaped mugs

My favorite TSA story:  my father was an airline pilot during 9/11.  A few months after the new "safe" TSA security checks were implementer he lost his small travel bag, so he grabbed another small bag from his closet, threw in some toiletries and went to work. SIX MONTHS LATER he found his original bag, and when he dumped the contents out of his "temporary" bag there were two small boxes of 9mm ammo!  So for 6 months he had been going through the newly minted TSA security screenings, at least 6 times a week, with 50 rounds of ammo, and was never caught.

My friend used to be a guy who's job was to test TSA. They missed like 95% of bad shit he would sneak through. It's a waste of money letting them still exist

Beware if travelling with film! These machines will usually wreck it, put your film in a plastic bag and ask a member of staff to hand check it for you instead.

I was recently in Japan traveling through the domestic terminal at Narita and they allowed me to bring my water though. They didn't have these machines tho, the solution was quite a bit more simple. the person working just asked me to take a swig from the bottle to make sure it was water!

As a radiologist, just wanted to say that this was very well researched.

Reminder the TSA hasn't ever caught any terrorists but has had somewhere around 2,000 agents arrested for theft.

I got pulled for additional screening. I had my toddlers toy lizard in my bag and 2 apple sauce pouches. Looked hilarious on the monitor.

I was about to correct you about "hasn't flow for the past 20 years left their laptop in their bag" (0:41), because it has only been the case for a few years, since 9/11 to be exact. Then I realized how old I got and that I'm still living in the early 2000s in my head...

"this is not a lab setting" I hope you know how much of a understatement that is

You briefly mentioned how it's "not a lab" but a real, physical area. This is much more important than the short comment makes it sound. I work with a guy who pioneered these detectors and he told me once an entire airport had to shut down because the bag scanners stopped working. Turns out the fine jet fuel soot covered the electronics and caused shorts. Maybe that should have been anticipated, but it's an important engineering lesson that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

Recently was told I didn’t have to take my stuff out my bag. If you could have seen my face…

Let’s not forget a couple of years ago, when security queues were so bad in Dublin that people literally drove to Shannon to fly instead!

TSA: Sir, you can't take that water bottle with you, it could be an explosive Me: throw it in the garbage next to them TSA: enjoy your flight!

As a first time flyer, it was very confusing going from one airport security to another and having completely different procedures. Remove everything at the first, and nothing at the next. Water out, then forgot it in my metal water bottle in the next and wasn’t flagged. I had no idea different scanners were part of that difference. Glad to see improvements though with how many small things I had in my bag. Unloading it was a massive pain

6:11 "Dont talk to me, I haven't had my C8H10N4O2 yet this morning"

I am a part of a research group that uses x-ray diffraction crystalography and other high-energy optical spectra techniques. While its not quite the same, it was cool seeing the theory behind my day to day making it into a video!

I love the sponsor! 80,000 hours does really great work