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Why can dogs with a keen sense of smell only detect explosives? What's the shocking secret behind this?
In today's increasingly severe security situation, explosives detection technology has become an important part of public safety. Whether at airports, ports or border controls, fast and effective explosives detection systems are indispensable in preventing terrorist acts. Among them, specially trained dogs are widely used due to their superior sense of smell to help ensure the safety of everyone. But how exactly do these dogs detect explosives?
A dog's nose is thousands of times more sensitive to odors than a human's, giving them a huge advantage in detecting trace amounts of substances.
First, let’s take a look at the detection technologies visible to the naked eye, such as color measurement and automated color measurement. The principle of this method is to determine whether it contains explosives by adding chemical reagents to unknown samples and observing whether there is a color change. Although this method is relatively simple and easy to understand, it has its limitations because some explosives that do not contain nitrogen, such as acetone peroxide, are difficult to detect using this technique.
With the advancement of technology, the development of mechanical olfaction has attracted people's attention, which includes methods such as ion motion spectroscopy (IMS). This technology determines the chemical composition of a substance by measuring the movement time of its ions in an electric field. Compared with traditional detection methods, it has the advantage of not requiring sample preprocessing.
The use of specially designed X-ray machines can detect explosives through density analysis agents. This technology is particularly important in anti-terrorism operations.
Of course, humans’ sense of smell is not as sensitive as that of dogs. Dogs that can detect up to thousands of scents, once trained, can quickly find any hidden explosives at a scene. Due to their sensitive sense of smell, dogs can recognize the scent of many common explosives and are trained to use specific behaviors to indicate their findings, such as sitting down.
Studies have shown that dogs’ olfactory abilities are superior to many mechanical devices in detecting explosives, making them still indispensable helpers in many situations.
In addition to the use of dogs, bees are also used for explosive detection. Some companies have begun experimenting with training bees to become efficient detectors. This approach combines advanced video computer software with observing the behavioral responses of bees to determine whether explosives are nearby.
Explosives detection efforts don’t stop with animals, though. From advanced stand-alone devices to automated systems, mechanical detection tools are becoming increasingly popular, especially for safety inspections. The development of these new technologies has undoubtedly improved the accuracy and convenience of inspections.
However, not all testing equipment is reliable. The U.S. Department of Justice has warned the public to beware of "fake" testing devices, such as so-called "detectors." The performance of these devices is far below random chance and has even caused many dangerous events.
Among various explosive detection methods, the dog's sense of smell still occupies a place. Not only do well-trained dogs quickly filter out interesting odors, they also provide irreplaceable support to security enforcement officers. This also makes us wonder whether future detection technologies will truly replace these ancient and effective animal companions, or will they coexist with them and achieve greater effectiveness?
