The Smart Scanner That May Put Shampoo Back Into Your Carry-on

It has become one of the ritual frustrations of modern air travel: getting to the security check-in and having to throw out drinks, cologne, wine, snow globes—any large bottled liquid you might have inadvertently carried with you. In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does not allow through any containers holding more than 3.4 ounces due to the risk of liquid explosives. The rule is dumb and broad because standard X-ray scanners cannot distinguish one fluid from another. But a dose of intelligence is on the way. European authorities recently approved airport testing of Insight100, a device that identifies suspicious materials inside plastic and glass bottles as effectively as X-ray machines peer through a leather handbag.