Surprising Science — March 12, 2011

T.S.A. To Publish Radiation Data

The Transportation Security Administration will start publishing radiation test results from airport passenger and luggage screening equipment to allay fears about health risks.

bigthinkeditor

A weekly collection of thought-provoking articles on tech, innovation, and long-term investing from Nightview Capital’s Eric Markowitz.

Until now, the public has been denied access to data measuring the radiation output of full-body security scanners used at airports across the country. “Some travelers and airline crews have expressed concerns about being repeatedly exposed to radiation from the body scanners, which T.S.A. has deployed to thwart plots such as a passenger hiding a bomb under his or her clothes. ‘Independent third-party testing has confirmed that all TSA technology is safe,’ TSA Administrator John Pistole said in a statement.”

Collage of classical art suggesting a theme related to somatic markers.

Business

How “somatic markers” can transform your decision-making

Ditch the old brain vs. heart assumptions, and instead think about a heart-led brain.

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

A wooden sign indicating "assisted migration rep 2" in a pine forest under a clear blue sky.

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

Historical map illustration depicting a planned city layout with a circular central area and radiating streets.

Strange Maps

Ohio’s Circleville ditched the grid system. Then it got squared.

A small Ohio town tried to escape America’s addiction to rectangular grids. It didn’t last long.

Bullet Cluster separation mass gravity x-ray lensing

Starts With A Bang

Flagship NASA space telescope faces a penny-pinching death

NASA’s only flagship X-ray telescope ever, Chandra, still works and has no planned successor. So why does the President want to kill it?

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Even a Monkey: Telling Good Abstract Art from Bad

Walk through a modern art gallery, and you’ll likely hear comparisons of the masterpieces on the wall to children’s finger-painting. But a new study proves that people really can tell the difference between the masters and toddlers.