2) Fingernail polish, as sold retail, has enough impurities in it to make it a poor choice for acetone source for the manufacture of TATP–but it would be easy enough to refill a bottle with pure acetone.

3) These are technically HE (high explosives) and a very small amount, properly placed could bring down an aircraft. There are an infinite number of ways to get small amounts of anything on board an airplane (witness the notable ability of the Homeland Security airport security ‘testers’ to get onboard with guns despite searches and metal detectors.

4) Mind you, the 9/11 skyjackers took over aircraft with what were essentially razor_blades a sharpened piece of plastic or a stick pen would have been as effective.

5) The only “taste test” which will work for detecting such things is if the GUARD does the tasting, a little training and a person can control their reaction to most of these liquids–even strong acids.

6) These guys were hiding the stuff in a false bottom anyway, they could have poured and drunk half the bottle without any effects–there would have been nothing in the poured liquid but what was marked on the bottle.

7) Smugglers are still bringing stuff across boarders even with tight security, the same methods can work for explosives that work for cocaine, diamonds etc..

The next step for terrorists is to determine how to create a weapon out of materials already on board the plane….

You want to stop terrorists, then stop the social causes of terrorism. This is not a technical problem, it is a social problem, and technology can only provide stop-gap measures. To stop terrorism, you must stop the underlying social causes.

Strip ‘em down, knock ‘em out, ship them as freight–a determined person can get nearly anything on board any transport–especially if they are willing to die.

I’m overwhelmed, as my mind roams the realm My eye’s the vision, memory is the film Others act subtle, but they fragile above clouds They act wild and couldn’t budge a crowd

Hmm. Inscrutable. But the RZA-produced beats are ill, and every song is as tight as a metaphor I can’t use in polite company. Just don’t sing this stuff out loud as you make your way through the airport. “I drop megaton bombs more faster than you blink/ Cause rhyme thoughts travel at a tremendous speed.” Nice sentiment, but the poetry might be lost on Homeland Security.

Of course, the Brits have this problem solved: no iPods on flights. An entire generation is about to be bored out of their everloving minds.

No problem, apparently.