Stepping through a metal detector is one of the staple experiences as we travel through the world’s airports, many in the US now do it without shoes. This week the Federal Government in the United States will begin testing on a new machine that could eventually replace metal detectors as the norm for security scanning in airports.

The new device, instead of using magnets, employs radio waves to scan the body. The machine will be tested at Phoenix International Airport, which has been using a similar machine that uses what is called backscatter radiation to scan passengers’ bodies.

The machine about to be tested uses ‘milimetre wave’ technology, which improves on the last model since it does not use radiation. Electromagnetic

All that needs to be determined is whether this machine can be more effective than the traditional patdown. So the question is: exactly what are security officers going to see? They claim that nothing deeper than the person’s underwear will be shown, the screens where the image will be shown are in a separate room and the images are not kept.

One is left to wonder then, how intelligent are these electromagnetic waves that know to look through shirts and trousers, but not underwear? Perhaps the TSA will have a few more questions to answer before the machines can be put to use.