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Laser Beam Detection

The Myth

THIS MYTH WAS FEATURED IN...
Episode Title: Episode 54: Crimes and Myth-Demeanors 1

Original air date:7/12/2006
Myth Title:Laser Beam Dodge or Mythbusters Cosmetic

Myth Description: Do the classic hollywood laser beam detection methods actually work? For example, in the movie Entrapment, they use cosmetic powder to see the laser beams.


MythBusters on the bust: Tory


Hypothesis:
  • Blowing cosmetic powder across laser beams will identify their position so you can avoid the laser beams.
  • Night vision googles will show you the laser beams.
  • Pointing another laser beam at the photo detector.


Procedure/Experimental Design:


Results: All Busted


Conclusion:
  • With cosmetic powder the visible beams can be seen, but they are only detectable when the powder is airborne, which is not very long. Also, blowing too much cosmetic powder can cause enough of the beam to break and set off the alarm. Plus most laser systems use invisible infrared laser trip beams.
  • With night vision googles, none of the beams were visible. It worked withpowder, butit only allowed Tory a brief glimpse of the infrared beams. Wearing the night vision goggles severely decreased Tory's field of view.
  • Pointing another laser beam worked with visible-beam systems, but infrared beams cannot be easily detected or traced, which makes locating the relevant photocells too difficult.

Busted or Not Busted: ---- Busted
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Highlights of the bust:






Best quotes by the MythBusters:






Your Scientific Method

Did the MythBusters get it right? How would you have busted this myth differently? Share your experiment design for how you would prove/disprove this myth:

  • There are two alternative methods used by Hollywood not tested by the mythbusters
  • Cigarette smoke (Migiver) and (metal gear solid 2){PS@ game}
  • and CO2? gas also from metal gear solid 2


  • Where they thought another laser could trick a sensor, I doubt a real system would work this way. The transmitted laser would likely be modulated in a way that only it would be legitimately detected by the reciever. An always on handheld laser wouldn't fool it.


  • Firstly, WHY make the system more expensive with modulated "signed" lasers?
    Teensy, invisible beams are sufficiently effective!
    Also, just making the photocell sensitive to *change* in laser intensity, increase or decrease, makes it nearly impossible to spoof,
    also, making the photocell be recessed in a hardened enough housing, means you can't sneak a new laser into place, to produce the required signature.

  • Use cigarette smoke ( small particle size ), if it'll work with IR ( particles may be too small for that? ), & night vision, mark out the No Go zones ( visible laser pointers & plasticene ), and then walk where you want, without gogles.
  • Also, try different kinds of stereoscopic starlight & IR goggles, it seems there is a significant difference in quality, nowadays.


See Also

Related myths: ----

Related resources and reference pages: ----




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