RFID embedded $20's?

[JiTRiF]

Actually, putting RFID into money makes a lot of sense if you think about airports. A lot of money laundering is done by moving large amounts of cash back and forth. You are, I believe, required to tell the airline if you are traveling with over 10k in cash. I know this is true internationally. Not so sure about domestic. Either way, if you put an RFID screener into airports metal detectors, now you can check for money launderers or drug trafficers more easily. Usually when people are found with drugs they have large amounts of cash as well, this would give them the latter which may tip them off to the presence of drugs, at least, they might walk a dog past you.

True, i never thought of that. I better go remove all that cash from my briefcase, jk ;) .

[murakami]

I was not inferring that was what it appeared to be, I was commenting on what I had seen from the pictures for those that didn't look that close.

Qu|rk-

My response was not directed towards your comments, but towards the original article, which asserted a number of things such as the gov is tracking you via $20 bills.

Of course I was one of the people that believed that harvesting magnesium nodules from the ocean floor was for real, when the real objective was to raise a russian boomer.

[bascule]

I am assuming that this is due to the fact that microwaves cook from the inside out so the money that was in the middle of this stack burned the worst.

Microwaves do not cook from the inside out. Not only is this common sense (water molecules closer to the surface of food are exposed to more RF radiation than those on the inside because the RF radiation is progressively absorbed as the beam passes through food), it was also verified empirically by the MythBusters, who placed a large hunk of raw meat in the microwave for a prolonged period of time, then took it out, cut it open, and examined the results. The outside was cooked, but the inside was still raw.

Here are a few links regarding the "inside out" myth:

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/microwave.html#3

Although heat is produced directly in the food, microwave ovens do not cook food from the "inside out." When thick foods like roasts are cooked, the outer layers are heated and cooked primarily by microwaves while the inside is cooked mainly by the slower conduction of heat from the hot outer layers.

http://aginfo.psu.edu/psa/fw98/food.html

Microwave ovens have become as common in the American home as refrigerators, dishwashers, and remote controls. Some microwave ovens even have a remote control. Almost as common as the appliance are consumer questions about microwave cooking, which is where food scientist Swamy Anantheswaran comes in.

Anantheswaran, who has done extensive research on how microwaves interact with food and other materials, finds that even the most seasoned microwave chefs often don't know exactly why or how the ovens do what they do.

[...]

"Microwaves are absorbed from the outside in," Anantheswaran says. "The heat is absorbed differently depending on the size, shape, and composition of the food. Small cylindrical or spherical foods, such as hot dogs or potatoes, heat most evenly. Rectangular foods, such as packaged dinners, may heat less evenly because the microwaves are hitting the top and the sides, causing the corners to overcook."

[kallahar]

I tried microwaving a 20, nothing happened. My guess is that he had something that heated up enough to burn the paper. Since they were all in a wad, it burned through several bills, all in the same place.

He just jumped to the rfid conclusion because he's a conspiracy nut.

[lil_freak]

I'm strange and freaky enough to try it. I'll also try other types of paper.

Will post with the results soon. :D

After testing Griffter's idea here is what I found out:

Because microwave ovens are designed to cook food and are not intended do scientific experiments. Odd things can happen.

(items used: paper (different types) and two microwaves)
*side note* one microwave is now toast it will be going to the dump

Normally, when food/water is in the microwave, the radiation is continually absorbed, keeping the overall radiation levels low.

Due to the fact that I was testing paper (fax, plain, thermal, colored, crate, construction, and photo) the electromagnetic radiation built up to high intensities. This can cause high levels of radiation to reflect back into the microwave generator causing it to overheat. (one microwave is now dead :( )

I found that the paper burned in different areas depending on the microwave I used this happened because of high and low points in the intensity of the microwave radiation field. As the waves bounce back and forth, they interfere with each other. In some places they add up, and in other places they can subtract to zero intensity.

Because of this I feel that the 20 dollar bills burned where they did because of the persons microwaves’ low/high points.

In conclusion: It’s all in the microwave you use not what you put in it..

[bascule]

Due to the fact that I was testing paper (fax, plain, thermal, colored, crate, construction, and photo) the electromagnetic radiation built up to high intensities. This can cause high levels of radiation to reflect back into the microwave generator causing it to overheat. (one microwave is now dead :( )

The only way to damage the microwave's magnetron is electronically. If you want to prevent this place an insulator between whatever item you're microwaving and the bottom of the microwave, to prevent a charge from building up on the item and damaging the magnetron.

[bascule]

He just jumped to the rfid conclusion because he's a conspiracy nut.

Exactly, this whole thing reeks of "I saw it on /. therefore it must be true"

True RFID-tags (i.e. with transponder-like properties)
are currently a bit expensive and too inflexible to embed in paper (they have embedded logic). It's only recently that a company has developed printable RFID tags, but they're still yet to finalize the details of their system such as what frequency it will operate on.

From the story the guy's logic seems to be "My wallet set off the truck stop security system, therefore of all the things inside of it the cash must contain RFID tags."

[murakami]

From the story the guy's logic seems to be "My wallet set off the truck stop security system, therefore of all the things inside of it the cash must contain RFID tags."

ahh, logic

post hoc ergo propter hoc

[astcell]

"I didn't steal this hot dog, I paid for it in a previous life."

[staticblac]

People at a bank or us customs at airports could have scanners to tell you how much money you have on you

[astcell]

People at a bank or us customs at airports could have scanners to tell you how much money you have on you

Heaven forbid I take out a $20 to pay for something and the cashier knows that it is a $20 bill!

[Grifter]

It would help the blind. They could scan their bill and have the scanner read back the denomination.

[Etherlite]

RFID tags

Hello all, 2 points--

I believe there is a company that will be putting RFID tags inside of table linens and such. I wonder how they will stand up to the washing/drying/pressing. Does anyone have any info on how robust these chips can be made?

My other point. I do not know if an RFID tag will cause your microwave/money/house to catch fire. What I do know is that any RFID tag can be permenantly disabled with the use of a $30 Tazer. If I was to smuggle millions across a border. I'd make that investment. (This also applies to anyone who thinks Wal-Mart will be tracking where in the house their shaving cream is.)

Sure beats a tinfoil hat!

[staticblac]

If RFID tags do become mainstream I wonder if you could Wardrive for RFID signals? just a though

[astcell]

It would help the blind. They could scan their bill and have the scanner read back the denomination.

They already have that, it can read the number. This reminds me of the British Pounds, where there is a strip of silver in the note, and each note is actually worth something than representing something.

There was a time our paper was a receipt for gold or silver, the good o' days....