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A Perfectly Average Anomaly

December 19, 2025

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  • The central mystery of "A Perfectly Average Anomaly" is why multiple, seemingly average men are consistently flagged by TSA millimeter wave body scanners specifically in the groin and/or anal area. 
  • The investigation initially explored theories including large anatomy and scar tissue, but ultimately pointed toward moisture (sweat) as the likely cause for the false positives, as confirmed by experimental testing. 
  • Despite initial success in replicating the flag using moisture, the anomaly remained technically unsolved as subsequent tests by one listener showed inconsistent results across multiple security checkpoints, leaving the TSA average dong anomaly unresolved at the end of the segment. 

Segments

Listener’s Airport Scanner Issue
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(00:04:35)
  • Key Takeaway: A frequent flyer consistently triggers TSA body scanner alarms specifically over his genitals and anus.
  • Summary: The first listener, ‘Travis,’ flies between Honolulu and New York City and is repeatedly flagged by the full-body scanner. The machine displays boxes over both his penis and anus, necessitating a pat-down every time. Travis confirms he has a completely normal body structure, ruling out obvious physical anomalies as the cause.
Discovery of Shared Anomaly
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(00:11:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Two other listeners subsequently reported experiencing the identical, localized groin flagging issue with the TSA scanner.
  • Summary: A second listener, Silas, wrote in with the exact same complaint, leading the host to realize this was not an isolated incident. A third listener, Keller, confirmed the pattern, establishing a small group of men experiencing this specific false positive. The first two men who confirmed their status identified as gay, but the third listener identified as straight.
Millimeter Wave Technology Background
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(00:25:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Millimeter wave scanners use high-frequency radio waves that pass through fabric but reflect off skin and objects like metal or water to create a crude 3D image.
  • Summary: Engineer Doug McMaken, who helped develop the millimeter wave technology, explained that the waves are harmless radio frequencies. The technology was developed to detect non-metallic threats like plastic explosives, which was spurred by incidents like the 2009 underwear bomber. Since 2013, the system uses an algorithm to flag anomalies on a gingerbread outline instead of showing nude images to human agents.
Investigating False Alarm Theories
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(00:38:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The engineer suggested ‘corner traps’ or moisture could cause artifacts, leading the team to test the ‘swamp crotch’ theory.
  • Summary: The engineer proposed that geometric anomalies (‘corner traps’) where waves ricochet between body parts could cause flags, or that moisture could create a reflective barrier. Anecdotal evidence from online forums suggested that sweaty private areas (‘swamp crotch’) caused similar issues for others. The team decided to test this moisture theory directly.
Moisture Experiment Confirmation
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(00:47:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Deliberately soaking underwear with water caused the host and a colleague to be flagged in the groin area by the scanner.
  • Summary: The host intentionally drenched his crotch with airport sink water and was immediately flagged with both yellow and red boxes on his groin. A colleague replicated the result using a less extreme, ‘sweat level’ of moisture. The engineer confirmed that water creates a barrier that millimeter waves reflect off, effectively creating a synthetic anomaly.
Inconsistent Results and Conclusion
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(00:53:53)
  • Key Takeaway: When listeners attempted to dry their bodies completely (‘desert crotch’), two out of three passed the scanner smoothly, but subsequent re-testing by one listener failed, leaving the anomaly unsolved.
  • Summary: Listeners Travis and Silas tested the ‘desert crotch’ method by drying off completely and changing clothes, and both initially passed without issue. However, Travis re-tested himself at a second and third checkpoint while dry and was flagged again each time. The episode concludes that the TSA average dong anomaly remains unsolved, resisting tidy narrative closure.