Open Source Nuke Detection
The Department of Homeland Security announced plans last month to bolster U.S. port defenses with radiation scanners. The program, primarily aimed at detecting nukes smuggled by terrorists in shipping containers, will cost an estimated $1.15 billion, but won’t be completed until 2011.
Meanwhile a group of smart guys has built a portable detection device for about $12,000. It is a…
…boat-mounted scanner with off-the-shelf parts that might reliably spot radiation spikes in container ships at sea from a kilometer away.
Of course, this type of adhoc system would not be able to climb the massive bureaucracies with access to the resources required to scale and leverage the tech.
-Shlok
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