Imagine
having a phone that allows you to see through walls! Talk about an invasion of
privacy. Terahertz scanners have the ability to see through walls, and inside
pockets and wallets. However, due to their large size, the pricy materials
needed to make this device which leads to its high expense, and the
high-powered nanolasers, these characteristics limit their everyday use. A new
approach is being carried out to make everyday mobile phones with similar
functions as terahertz scanners.
The
electromagnetic waves in the terahertz range have the ability to penetrate
where optical light cannot; therefore, they can sense any molecule. Terahertz
is useful for security scanners, medical devices, and has many other
applications as well. Unfortunately, their large size is due to the large amount
of energy and multiple lenses needed to focus the light. The professor of
electrical engineering at the University of Texas of Dallas, Kenneth O, is
developing new versions of this mobile device that would not require multiple
lenses. The key breakthrough was the fabrication of complementary metal-oxide
semiconductors, the CMOS chips that power most consumer devices. “The combination of CMOS and terahertz means
you could put this chip and receiver on the back of a cell phone, turning it
into a device carried in your pocket that can see through objects,” O said in a
statement. At the moment Kenneth and his team plan to limit its range to less
than four inches. Still, this development means handheld THz scanners may not
be far off at all (Boyle, 2012).
I
personally do not feel like it would be a good thing to have a phone that
allows one to see through walls! Or even have the ability to see through
people! Like what if you had a phone that allowed you to watch a person through
a wall punch in their pin code at a bank, or a pin code on a door? That type of
stuff should be completely private. But now people could have the ability to
access someone else’s bank account, etc. The same thing could happen with a computer.
One could access all their personal information with this device. This could
cause even more problems relating to an invasion of privacy.
My
concern with this device would be the help effects that it has on humans. When
cell phones first came out there was a scare about how the use of these mobile
devices increase the chances on one developing brain cancer. If it is possible for this device to see though walls
while on such a high frequency, what kind of long term effects would we see on
the human brain since we already know about lower frequencies causing such
negative effects.
How do you feel about having a device that allows you to do this
in the palm of your hand?!
Boyle, Rebecca. "Terahertz-Band Cell Phones
Could See Through Walls." PopSci. 18 Apr. 2012.
Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-04/terahertz-band-cell-phones-could-send-faster-texts-and-see-through-walls>.
To address your safety concerns, EM waves in the THz range are relatively low energy waves, being in the low infrared spectrum. They are lower energy than visible light, in fact, by a factor of 1000 or so, very similar to cell phone radiation. On the other hand, the ethical dilemma of being able to see through things is slightly harder. While there is a huge potential for abuse, as you say, I feel that it would be worth it to study the technology in order to determine the possible positive personal consumer applications.
ReplyDeleteThis is nuts! I would never want to have something that could see through walls. I feel like it would be a huge hindrance to personal privacy, and would mostly be used for 'evil' rather than good.
ReplyDelete