A team of engineers from China is developing a new method for using infrared radiation emitted from a human hand to decrypt classified data and create codes, reports Inverse explains.
In a paper published Monday, April 5, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team explained in detail how the infrared radiation of the hand (basically the heat emitted by our bodies) can be used to enable a multitude of safety applications.
Their method would be controlled by the human body, enabling a powerless, multi-purpose decryption system that would not become obsolete – unless we eventually merge with AI and leave our bodies behind.
The concept is focused on the light given by infrared radiation – invisible to the naked eye, the radiation is already it uses technologies such as night vision goggles that allow wearers to see animals or people in the dark through their thermal signature.
“The use of human components as IR light sources can provide a promising way to increase the manageability and flexibility of designed systems,” the authors wrote. “[T]the human hand is not only a natural and powerless IR light source, but also a multiplexed light source with each finger serving as an independent light source. “
How would infrared encryption work
To test their idea, the researchers used a low-reflection polydimethylsiloxane spray on aluminum to encrypt a hidden message that was “tared” at room temperature. This meant that when additional infrared radiation was added by hand, a hidden message was detected.
However, the most important discovery was the fact that the decryption process can be perfected to work at different depths, the authors explained in their paper.
This means that fingerprints – each with its own unique contours belonging to only one person – could be used as an encryption key that cannot be copied.
The researchers say the potential use of a hand-held IR light for encryption would have two major benefits: it would offer a sustainable encryption and decryption system (because it requires warmth from human homeostasis), and it would also provide future encryption of evidence.
It is feared that in the not-too-distant future, quantum computers will be too powerful for our current encryption methods, which means new methods must be devised. Who would have thought that one of these methods is already on the palm (or fingers) of our hands.