Now see, Poundstone didn’t mention lasers at all. The way he phrased it made the windowpane thing seem much more difficult to pull off. Maybe he wasn’t at liberty to divulge, at the time.
I remember watching a TV show a few weeks ago on National Geographic channel that showcased new technologies police/special forces were starting to utilize. One was a device that could basically “see through solid walls” enough so that people inside appeared as blips on a remote display and they would know when people were entering/leaving rooms, etc. Not sure how applicable that is on a larger-scale basis, or if it’s even being used overseas.
I forget the specific technology it used, but I want to say radio waves perhaps?
A sensitive infra-red sensor can do that. Thermographic camera - Wikipedia
None of that would’ve happened without the Army killing a whole bunch of al-Qaeda terrorists.
Wouldn’t solid walls block the radiation coming from the people?
Or just radar, maybe? Seriously, modern high-end radars can do really amazing things.
Probably. For some reason, I was thinking of some “cop” movies that had SWAT dudes with sniper scopes that allowed them to see suspects moving about inside a building across the street, through window blinds and drywall walls, but that might have just been hollywood stuff.
There are sensors sensitive enough to see the heat of recently made footprints, the body heat on a doorknob, and recently used electric devices, but probably not through solid walls.
You can see the “heat leak” of a suspect hiding in tall grass and bushes.
There may be little tell tale clues like that that can indicate if someone is currently occupying a small building.
I’m back in Iraq and Paul’s correct. Instead of the intel, thinkers, operations, and killer folks operating in a long chain; it’s more of a big huddle now. Missions are dispatched immediately on intel; forensics and intel personnel go on the missions, people are immediately interrogated and evidence analyzed and new missions are executed off that information the same night; sometimes two of three cascading followups to the initial raid. The old term was “getting inside the cycle” of the enemies time to react. Probably a new buzz word or phrase by now. It’s been very effective.
It keeps the bad guys from picking up on how close we are to getting them. Makes them move all the time (physically and mentally tiring - had bad guys turn themselves in because of exhaustion), and keeps our own PR types from blabbing about the latest intelligence. The last statement is a biggie. When we got Zahawari, our folks couldn’t wait to blab; about his death, how he was killed, there may have been special operations involvement, local sources provided tips, why yes we did find computers with files, on and on - all violations of OPSEC (Operational Security). We drudges get beaten to death about security but the brass and politicians can yak all they want.
The above plus sensors finally operational from the Roswell ship and our psychic shock troops. I wouldn’t rule out improved sensors.
What good would hearing a bunch of moans and grunts do?
Oh, wait, I see what you mean now.