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The Transportation Security Administration continues to amaze me. 

Case in point; Patrick Smith, an airline pilot, attempted to include in his carry-on luggage a small knife that came from an airline meal.

A TSA supervisor refused to allow the knife through the security check, because the 5-inch long knife was serrated. 

As Patrick pointed out on his blog post at Salon, he was supposed to fly the plane. If he wanted to do some damage, he doesn’t need a knife.  

Image courtesy of Johan Larson through a Creative Commons license.

An 80-story building in Dubai will feature floors that spin around the building’s central axis, using electric motors powered by wind and solar energy.

Occupants can control their floor through a voice command system, although this demonstration video implies that the rotation will be centrally controlled. I would have used the Clapper, myself.

The building looks like it is doing a hula, although in real life, the floors would move very slowly.

I can only wonder what the Outdoor Circle might say if a similar building were proposed on Oahu. Similar towers have been proposed for Moscow and Manhattan. The Dubai project is scheduled for completion in 2010.

There’s more information at architect David Fisher’s web site, this CNN article titled Dubai ‘shape-shifting skyscraper’ unveiled and in Dynamic Tower Skyscraper: Every Floor Self-Rotates, Powered by Wind and Sun at Gizmodo.

It’s possible to build a “kill switch” into electronics, so that the device can be stopped or destroyed by remote control. I mentioned this in my 3 July article called The kill switch is a bad idea.

But what happens when the device itself can harm or kill a person? Nathan Adams, a master’s student at the University of Canterbury, has written a good post called When bugs really do matter: 22 years after the Therac 25. He also addresses problems with Alaris SE infusion pumps back in 2006. This FDA page called Safety Information about the Alaris Signature Edition Gold Infusion Pump Seizure has more information.

Several blind people live near our home, and sometimes they cross in front of our driveway. I’m always patient, as it’s obvious to me that they are listening for engine noise.

Before I saw this article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, I hadn’t realized that blind people cannot hear gasoline-electric hybrid cars at crosswalks. I’m ashamed to say I had never thought of it, even though I owned a Honda Insight for two years.

Most hybrid automobiles shut down their gasoline engine at a full stop, and some models, like the Toyota Prius, can use their silent electric engine at low speeds. There’s no gas engine noise to warn blind pedestrians of an approaching vehicle.

The American Council of the Blind has proposed a research study, to be conducted by the US Department of Transportation. The research would determine if an indicator noise could be added to hybrid cars to help the blind hear the vehicle. Crosswalk signals now include an audible signal, to help local governments comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A Federal solution is vastly preferable to local and state regulation. In the past, the Federal government has mandated other safety features for automobiles, including air bags, brake lights and seat belts. Audible signals for the blind could be combined with for backover avoidance technology that is designed to warn drivers of children and objects behind their reversing vehicle.

Perhaps Neil Young can write the warning song, and test it on his electric 1959 Lincoln Continental convertible.

Image courtesy of Aaron Gustafson through a Creative Commons license.

Updated 6 June 2008, 10:26 HST: New Scientist posted an article about this issue yesterday, along with this YouTube video.

As I mentioned in my billso.com article from 2 May 2008, if you are carrying high value items on your airline journey, do not check them with your baggage. Carry the items with you on the airplane.

Matt Mullenweg, the man behind WordPress, learned this lesson the hard way last week when he lost several high-end cameras and lenses on a US Airways flight.

Image courtesy of xrrr through a Creative Commons license.

Related posts on billso.com

• 15 May 2008: Don’t check cameras in your luggage
• 2 May 2008: Never check your computer on a plane
• 11 March 2008: Using Facebook as a lost-and-found department
• 3 March 2008: Building the perfect laptop
• 30 September 2006: Don’t steal my laptop!
• 28 June 2003: Where’s my luggage?