See-through tech makes our lives…easier?
The above image is of a transparent goldfish engineered to allow the little guy to serve as a living anatomy showcase, saving millions of his (or her? does anyone here know how to sex a goldfish?) brethren from going under the knife. [Gizmodo]
Alternatively, William Saletan argues for the use of full-body scanners at airports. Originally, this idea made me angry because it didn’t involve “fire everyone in the TSA” as part of the argument. Then I realized that I wouldn’t have to disrobe (including shoes, jackets, my watch, belt, etc.) because the TSA could just see through all of it. So, tentatively, I support the use of scanners if and only if other restrictions, such as taking away my liters of Code Red Mountain Dew, are lifted.
As a side note – I know the privacy thing is worrying and that people get especially squeemish around the naked human body. Folks, the human body is gross. Not bad or sinful, mind you, nor does the body’s grossness take away from how impressive a natural machine it is. But for every Adonis and Aphrodite that walks through that scanner, the poor TSA agents are going to have to look at hundreds of people naked that they’d really rather not. It’s like the Clockwork Orange effect for peeping toms.
