Liberty or Security? Just how safe is airport security? Since 9/11 airport security measures and regulations have more than doubled to prevent future attacks. The AIP Conference Proceedings 2001 stated that, “The last 25 years has seen an explosion in the number of x-ray based imaging methods and applications.”(AIP vol. 557 issue 1) Airport security, technology, rules and regulations have changed drastically since the terrorist acts of 9/11 leaving a permanent scar on the United States for years to come. Not only did the attacks scar American society but they also caused airports to apply more rules taking way small freedoms for a small amount of security, for a short amount of time. Benjamin Franklin once said, “They who give up essential liberty, to purchase temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” The evolution of airport technologies has been a key point to America and many other countries since September 11, advances such as 3-D imaging, x-rays, and scanners are only a few new technologies being introduced to airports to further protect the American people. “… high resolution 3-D image generation with the capability to probe micron length scales, dual energy computed tomography providing improved airport security.”(AIP vol. 557 issue 1) A micron is a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter. Tomography, a method of making x-ray photographs, is the most commonly used technology use to assure the safety of a plane and its passengers. From security scanners to x-ray devices, airports security seems to be rapidly changing and advancing to heights the world never thought possible. Some companies are currently testing new technologies in airports across the globe, “Six airports in the U.S. are currently beta sites for the latest in checkpoint security, a $150,000 high-tech detection portal called the Tonscan Sentinel II can identify traces of over 40 types of explosives.”(ACM vol. 48 issue 1) “The catastrophic events of September 11, 2001 have often been referred to as a wake-up call and it is obvious that this tragedy has had a profound impact on all aspects of our lives.”(SC&T vol. 27 issue 1) After 9/11 many companies started to work on
