Scientist Frank De Lucia and colleges at The Ohio State University have found a way to detect different types of toxic gases up to a kilometer away. Using terahertz radiation, also known as "T Rays" of the correct energy can make a molecule change rotational state. This produces an absorption spectra that is unique as a fingerprint.
Terahertz radiation has been used in the past to detect tumors and gases in lab conditions, but have not been used in the outside world because the presence of water vapor smears and weakens the spectra. The scientists at OSU were able to bypass this problem using a second beam of light in the infrared spectrum to hit the molecules with just the right amount of energy, causing the spectra to flicker instead of smear. With this technique, scientists can detect exactly what kind of gas is present in the air in extremely small amounts even with water vapor present.
I find this process very exciting because it can keep people, such as soldiers, mine workers, or citizens of highly polluted areas, safe from even tiny amounts of many dangerous gases just by turning on a laser. I am worried by the fact that the laser in question is eight feet long and weighs one ton, because this severely limits its practical applications. The laser also sounds very expensive, and would need a skilled worker to manage it, which also limits its uses.
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