• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • WordPress
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Science Update

Science Update

Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS

  • Spotlights
  • Reality Check
  • Why Is It?
  • Radio Archives
  • Sciup @ School
Home » Radio Archive » Daily Show » Nose Biometrics

Nose Biometrics

April 8, 2010
https://podcast.scienceupdate.com/100408_sciup_nose.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window

BOB HIRSHON (host):
Sniffing out criminal noses. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Scientists are developing ways to identify people by physical features, like intricate patterns in the eyes. But some of these techniques require the person to step close and stand still – which criminals may not do willingly. That’s one reason why engineer Adrian Evans, of the University of Bath in England, turned to the nose.

ADRIAN EVANS (University of Bath):
Noses are very hard to cover up without drawing suspicion to yourself. So they’re actually quite easy to capture with non-cooperative subjects.

HIRSHON:
He and his colleague Adrian Moorhouse analyzed 3-D images of 40 people. By measuring just three specific aspects of a nose, they were able to narrow down the possible matches much faster than a full face-recognition scan. The tradeoff is that it’s harder to make a one-to-one match. So the system may be best used to quickly flag suspects for further scrutiny. I’m Bob Hirshon for AAAS, the Science Society.

Category: Daily ShowTag: Biology, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Previous Post:Sizing Up Dogs II
Next Post:Motor Skills Roundup

Sidebar

Radio Program Archives

Want to learn more about the brain? The environment? Here you can browse the topics that come up regularly on Science Update.

Search the Archives

Categories

  • Daily Show
  • Station Download
  • Weekly Show

Find By Tag

  • 2020
  • Acoustics & Sound
  • Aging
  • Animal Behavior
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Astronomy & Space
  • Biology
  • Brain Science
  • Bugs
  • Cat Video
  • Chemistry
  • Children & Families
  • cicadas
  • Climate & Weather
  • Communications
  • Computer Science
  • Economics & Business
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Environment & Conservation
  • Genetics & Evolution
  • Geology
  • Marine Science
  • Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine & Health
  • Microbiology
  • Nanotechnology
  • NASA
  • Nutrition & Food Science
  • Paleontology & Dinosaurs
  • Physics
  • Plants & Agriculture
  • Political Science
  • Reality Check
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports & Fitness
  • spotlight
  • Spotlight Bugs
  • Terrorism & War
  • Why Is It? Questions
  • Wildlife
  • Year in Review

Find By Date

Science Update
  • About Science Update
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Image of computer screen depicting an orange cat with a variety of alphanumeric scientific data superimposed on the the screen.
Spotted skunk performing handstand to threaten predators

Copyright © 2025 · Springtail Media LLC · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Pongos