When checking for liquid explosives at airports, many of the devices used are cumbersome and take time to give results. Osaka University researchers said earlier this month they have developed a hand-held device that can detect whether a bottle’s contents are explosive or flammable in a matter of seconds. When placed between two cylinders that emit a LED light – using Near-Infrared Resonance – the device cross-references the light-absorption properties of the liquid with a stored database. Depending on the safety of the liquid, a lamp glows either red or green.