Desertdog
Member
Give this kid a blue ribbon and megabucks if it works.
Student’s Science Project May Stop Drug Smugglers
http://www.kfmb.com/features/crimefighters/story.php?id=35277
It's not your average science fair project, and it could one day help stop drug smugglers. A La Jolla middle school student has built a machine that could help detect border tunnels.
For years, students here at Muirlands Middle School have come up with impressive science fair projects, but there's one current entry has really sparking interest. And its findings could help with homeland security measures between the U.S. and Mexico.
Inside the Muirlands auditorium sits a variety of science fair projects posing questions like which brand of popcorn pops the most and which lip gloss lasts longer. But for one student, his project took on a more serious tone.
Twelve-year-old Ben Aldrich wanted to study cosmic rays called muons. The seventh grader's research showed they were used to look for hidden burial chambers in ancient pyramids.
“I was watching the Discovery Channel with my dad, and there was this thing on space,” Ben said.
His father Fred ordered a pair of muon detectors, and Ben built a small machine to measure muons penetrating earth and lead.
After an hour of testing, the machine could see what represented a tunnel as small as six inches in diameter.
“I was trying to prove that we can use these Geiger counters to find tunnels that go under the border,” Ben said.
Aldrich and his father traveled to the border to gather soil samples with approval from the Border Patrol.
“The Border Patrol officers approached us and asked us what we were doing, and we told them what the project was and they check with their office and made sure it was OK, and they let us do it,” Fred Aldrich said.
Immigration and customs enforcement officials have used similar technology for years to detect the tunnels. They say they're impressed by Ben's work.
I think it’s absolutely fantastic that you’ve got somebody that’s so young that’s thinking about a problem that the government has been thinking about for years,” Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agent Michael Unzueta said.
Student’s Science Project May Stop Drug Smugglers
http://www.kfmb.com/features/crimefighters/story.php?id=35277
It's not your average science fair project, and it could one day help stop drug smugglers. A La Jolla middle school student has built a machine that could help detect border tunnels.
For years, students here at Muirlands Middle School have come up with impressive science fair projects, but there's one current entry has really sparking interest. And its findings could help with homeland security measures between the U.S. and Mexico.
Inside the Muirlands auditorium sits a variety of science fair projects posing questions like which brand of popcorn pops the most and which lip gloss lasts longer. But for one student, his project took on a more serious tone.
Twelve-year-old Ben Aldrich wanted to study cosmic rays called muons. The seventh grader's research showed they were used to look for hidden burial chambers in ancient pyramids.
“I was watching the Discovery Channel with my dad, and there was this thing on space,” Ben said.
His father Fred ordered a pair of muon detectors, and Ben built a small machine to measure muons penetrating earth and lead.
After an hour of testing, the machine could see what represented a tunnel as small as six inches in diameter.
“I was trying to prove that we can use these Geiger counters to find tunnels that go under the border,” Ben said.
Aldrich and his father traveled to the border to gather soil samples with approval from the Border Patrol.
“The Border Patrol officers approached us and asked us what we were doing, and we told them what the project was and they check with their office and made sure it was OK, and they let us do it,” Fred Aldrich said.
Immigration and customs enforcement officials have used similar technology for years to detect the tunnels. They say they're impressed by Ben's work.
I think it’s absolutely fantastic that you’ve got somebody that’s so young that’s thinking about a problem that the government has been thinking about for years,” Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agent Michael Unzueta said.
