Have you ever wondered what those full body scanners at the airport are looking for? In theory, they’re supposed to be looking for things like weapons, but in reality, they end up generating more false positives than actual issues.

For example, as heat waves hit several parts of the United States, travelers have noticed something peculiar about airport full body scanners: They appear to be set off by sweaty groins.

As noted by VICE, numerous travelers are claiming that patches of sweat on their bodies are causing body scanners to go crazy. This is actually understandable given how full body scanners work; TSA’s millimeter wave technology detects not just metal, but anything that disrupts its signal. This can include moisture, which is a problem given that just about everyone sweats.

So, if you want to avoid additional screening, you might want to towel off in the bathroom before heading through security.

Photo credit By Gerti at R&S - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, http://bit.ly/44ymDly