Air warrior

Paul Polski understands genius-both benevolent and evil.

For 10 years, Polski directed a team of 80 scientists at the Federal Aviation Administration's Security Research and Development Lab. Known as the "green berets of science," they stood at the vanguard of the war on terrorism, years before it was declared.

The security lab was established following the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988 over the village of Lockerbie, Scotland. Under Polski's guidance, the lab produced three dozen devices to minimize damage from an explosion aboard an airplane and to thwart terrorists trying to sneak bombs on board in the first place. Among the lab's greatest achievements was certifying the first explosive detection system, which senses objects inside luggage. It advanced the field of security the way the telescope forever altered astronomy.