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Decision Sciences' X-ray alternative worth billions? Startup wants piece of homeland security contracts.

Article Excerpt
Richard Smith's company is making what he says is the equivalent of the better mouse trap when it comes to screening systems that detect radiation or nuclear bombs.

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Based on the behavior of little-known subatomic particles called muons, Smith and his colleagues at San Diego's Decision Sciences Corp. are completing a prototype that can detect radioactive materials such as uranium and plutonium without using X-rays.

Current X-ray detection systems used by the federal government at the nation's ports of entry, airports and other sites aren't effective and are unsafe, said Smith.

"These are ineffective, they're dangerous, and according to the GAO (the federal Government Accounting Office), they don't work," he said.

Not only can X-rays endanger people who may be hiding inside cargo containers, or operators of the systems, a large dose could trigger an explosive device hidden inside a container, Smith said.

But the worst...

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