Airport Full-Body Scanners: Safety of Public or Personal Privacy?

There has been a lot in the news recently about full-body scanners at airports. The Transportation Security Administration has begun to use technologically advanced full-body scanners at airports for security purposes, and it is expected that much talk will ensue on the topic of these body scanners in 2010. These scanners have the ability to see beneath a person’s clothing in order to fully search a person for weapons. There are two types of full-body scanners. The first is the Millimeter Wave Scanner which looks like a very large cylindrical phone booth. The machine emits very high frequency radio waves that are able to pass through clothing and therefore, show a three-dimensional image of the body underneath. Anything that is not human skin that shows up on the image is a cause for concern. The other type of scanner is the Backscatter Scanner which looks like two large boxes for a person to stand between with their arms out. Backscatter X-Ray machines, in contrast to Millimeter Wave machines, create a detailed two-dimensional image taken from two sides of the body. It works on the principle of the Compton Scattering Effect, which refers to the type of scattering x-rays and gamma rays undergo when coming in contact with matter. In this way, the scanner emits high-energy waves that are able to penetrate clothing, but not human skin, therefore, detecting the radiation that reflects back from an object on the body to form an image showing only the unclothed human body and any weaponry or explosives that one may happen to have on them.

The idea that over the next ten years, these scanners are expected to increase dramatically scares many people. Though this is obviously a way to effectively and efficiently search people for any harmful objects or weapons that they may be carrying, many people believe it to be a violation of personal privacy. It has been called a “Virtual Strip Search”, in the way that it allows screeners to see a detailed image of a person’s essentially nude body, even though the person viewing the image is in an isolated room away from the security section, and the face of the person is blurred. The person viewing the image may also be able to access personal information about the person from the image; for example, they would be able to see if the person has a colostomy bag, a missing or prosthetic limb, or is transsexual. It is also questioned as to whether or not these body scanners break child pornography laws, and whether or not there are health risks associated with their use.

This subject became of interest to me because when I was coming back from Chicago, I had to use a Backscatter Scanner. At the time, I was not aware of what was actually being done, but once I researched the subject, I felt very uncomfortable and kind of violated. Though I do think it is a violation of privacy, and essentially, a strip search, I know that the purpose of the scanners is to more efficiently diminish the number of people allowed to board an airplane that are holding dangerous weapons, which is also extremely important. In this way, it is hard for me to say if the potential risks that can arise because of security checks that are not thorough enough outweighs the invasion of my privacy. I tend to think that the safety of all the people is the most important, and so I understand why full-body scanners would seem to be necessary and the most effective way to search people of any dangerous objects that they may be carrying with them; however, violation of privacy is also an important issue. What do you think about full-body scanners? Is being virtually strip searched acceptable if it can more easily increase the safety of the general public?

This article from The Globe and Mail talks about the airport body scanners in New York City, more specifically, the ones at the Kennedy International Airport. It brings up some of the concerns that I have talked about and explains how the scanners work: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/nyc-airport-rolls-out-detailed-full-body-x-ray-scanner/article1769550/

Thank you!

Euthanasia: Science and Ethics Meet

Hello! So, I recently read a book called “Breathless” by Lurlene McDaniel that I found very interesting. It was centered around the topic of Euthanasia, which is a very controversial subject. First I will talk about the basics of the novel, and then about some of the research I did afterwards surrounding the subject. The story is basically about this boy named Travis, who is a champion athlete and seems to have all the opportunities in the world. One day when Travis, his sister Emily, his best friend Cooper, and his girlfriend Darla, all go to the lake for the afternoon, Travis notices a sharp pain in his upper leg, but still decides to show off by diving off of a huge cliff. He hears his leg crack and it is soon found out that he has bone cancer and a tumor in his upper thigh that will make it necessary for his leg to be taken off. All four of the main characters get a chance to tell the story from their point of view at different points in the novel, which is very interesting. Travis journeys through a dark time in his life, as his body no longer allows him to do what he loves most, or follow his dream of being a professional diver. As his situation worsens, many questions of morality and ethical matters are brought up, including and most predominantly, the idea of Euthanasia, or “mercy killing”. Everyone has beliefs, whether they be religious or moral, and everyone thinks they know the difference between right and wrong; but, I do not think anyone knows how they would feel about Euthanasia if it was being considered for themselves or for someone they love. In the novel, Travis’s situation gets so awful that he WANTS to be killed painlessly; but, because he is only 16, his parents are the ones with the final say on his life and death. It really made me think about what I would do if I was in Travis’s position, or the position of his family or friends. Would you let someone you love give up on life, if the only way they could live was to suffer? Or would you do anything to keep them alive, even if they would rather die? If the novel does not make a person lean one way or the other, it definitely makes you contemplate your thoughts on life, death, and morality.

After researching the topic of Euthanasia to find out a bit more about the scientific aspect of it, I came across something called Palliative Care which, opposed to Euthanasia, focuses on giving a person with a life threatening illness comfort and relief from suffering in order to improve their quality of living and dying. Usually, Palliative Care has positive connotations and Euthanasia has negative connotations. Palliative Care is a branch of medicine that focuses on end of life care. Its purpose is to keep the patient comfortable and pain free, despite their illness, and to improve the quality of life of the patient and their family. Some of the approaches used in Palliative Care include medication management of pain and other distressing symptoms, providing social, emotional, practical, and spiritual support, and helping caregivers. Scientific studies of Palliative Care treatment have shown that it can improve quality of life, reduce time spent in the hospital, preserve feelings of dignity, and possibly even prolong life. Unfortunately, good quality Palliative Care is not consistently available to people with terminal illnesses.

It is believed by MOST people that Euthanasia is murder, and therefore is not legal in all places; however, I tend to think that sometimes Euthanasia is the best way to quickly relieve someone from pain who is already on the path towards death, or who decides that they want to end their life. It is said that Palliative Care leaves the dying person with a higher sense of dignity, but in my opinion, in some cases it could be more dignified to die painlessly than to be hooked up to respiratory tubes, feeding tubes, or other forms of life support.

Euthanasia is a provocative subject through which science and ethics meet. This is merely MY opinion on the subject and some of the science behind it, so I will let YOU be the judge of whether it is right or wrong. What are your thoughts on Euthanasia and Palliative Care?

If anyone is interested in the novel, here is a link that shows the cover, a brief description of the novel, as well as an option to purchase the book from a bookstore of your choice: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5599045-breathless

Thank you!

Welcome!

Hello! I am a grade 11 student in Canada who will be posting blogs about world issues for my Current Topics in Science class. I plan on exploring and examining current issues that I may not necessarily be familiar with, so that I can become more aware of what is actually happening in the world, and more importantly, WHY it is happening. Hopefully I will be able to provide insightful thoughts and opinions about relevant subjects that can help myself and others better understand the world we live in. Thank you!