A well-known scientist says the risks of airport scanner radiation is about the same as being killed in a terrorist attack or getting struck by lightning, but there’s a catch.
“The thing that worries me the most is not what happens if the machine works as advertised, but what happens if it doesn’t,” said Peter Rez, a physics professor at Arizona State University.
He told Newser that he fears a device failure from a power surge or a software glitch could lead to an intense dose of life-threatening radiation in a single spot.
TSA (Transportation Security Administration) officials have downplayed the scanner’s potential threat by saying a single scan is equal to about a thousandth of a standard chest x-ray.
As for the equal risk of lightning or terrorism, Rez said:
“The probability is about the same as the thing you are trying to prevent. So my view is that there is not a case to be made for deploying them to prevent such a low probability event.”
By David Wilkening
