Full-Body Backscatter
Airports use the backscatters in scanning passengers to uphold security. Jordan refuses to be scanned by it. He explains, "One, I prefer my exposure to radiation. Two, I don't believe this technology prevents terrorism. Three, I'm grossed out that the government wants to take pictures of my balls…I think the pose the person is forced to take inside the machine—hands up, like they're being mugged—is designed to make them feel powerless and degraded." Jordan's reasons expose the ironies of the technology. The technology endangers the safety of those who go through it. Jordan has developed impressive critical thinking skills that enable him to research the danger of a technology touted as a solution to passengers' safety.
Emergency Exits
In the plane, a flight attendant informs passengers about the location of the exits they can utilize in an emergency. However, some people think that the presence of emergency exits in planes is ironic. Napolitano writes, "Bruce processes the world—and decides what's true—based on numbers, and statistically no one has ever survived a plane crash by using an inflatable slide." Bruce's reasoning suggests that exits are only intended to make the passengers to feel secure and in charge of their security. If a fatal crash happens, the exits will not lead them to security. The emergency exits do not prove to be useful during deadly emergencies.
Wordless Conversation
Eddie and Jordan communicate through facial expressions. They relay messages effectively without necessarily using words. Napolitano elucidates, "The brothers are able to read each other effortlessly; their parents are often mystified to find that Jordan and Eddie have conducted an entire conversation and come to a decision without words." Other people would not understand the brothers' ironic conversation. They are in sync; thus, signals are enough to send messages to each other, especially when uttering words is not permissible. The signs are substitutes for words that are ordinarily used during conversations.
