A complex explosive detector is in the works, but will it really make riding safer?
How has subway security money been spent so far? "More transit police on the trains and the platforms, random bag checks, security cameras. All the things you'd expect. A good chunk of the money seems to have gone for radio spots and subway ads reminding us to keep our eyes peeled for shady-looking characters and unattended bags...But lawmakers and commuters demanded more, so last week the MTA announced their latest security measure -- a doozy straight out of a Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner) novel."
Here's the plan: Retrofit MetroCard machines with devices that can detect trace amounts of explosives on your fingertips when you touch the screen. When the system detects something suspicious, all the turnstiles in the station will lock down. Then the MetroCard machine will take a photo of the person connected to the soiled fingertip and transmit it to the police, who will be on the scene even before the wily would-be bomber receives his card."
FULL STORY: INSECURITY SYSTEMS RIDE THE RAILS UNDERGROUND

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Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
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Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
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