David Throckmorton

The lobster is at the forefront of the next new weapon in the war on terror: a handheld device that could help Homeland Security agents see through wood, concrete and steel. Technology based on the crustacean's uncanny ability to see through dark, cloudy, deep sea water is guiding scientists funded by the government in the early stages of developing a ray that one day could be used by border agents, airport screeners and the Coast Guard. David Throckmorton, a project manager in Homeland Security's Science and Technology division, says a California company has developed a handheld prototype called the LEXID (Lobster Eye X-ray Imaging Device) that can see through walls.