Stupid Thermal Imaging Tricks

In this episode, the Roswell Flight Test Crew demonstrates the capabilities and limitations of thermal imaging cameras through a series of simple experiments. These reveal that, contrary to depictions on film and television, thermal imaging cannot be used to see through walls. Indeed, even glass windows are opaque to thermal imaging. They also prove that metal containers reflect the thermal properties of their surroundings rather than the temperature of their contents, and that while thermal imaging sees clearly through smoke, it is not able to penetrate fog. The video also explains how thermal imaging addresses the infrared spectrum in much the same way conventional cameras and the human eye perceive the visible light spectrum.