What are the airport body scanners?

Are those full body airport body scanners dangerous for your health?

• As far as I know (maybe I am mistaken) but what they are in effect are xray machines? Now we're told that xrays are bad for us and we should only get them done when medically required so if that's true then what the hell?!!!! It won't be the terrorists who'll kill us it'll be the f*cking xrays from the body scanners!

• Answer:

  There are two kinds of scanners: those that use radio waves, and those that use specific energy level x-rays. The x-rays to not penetrate the skin, that's the whole point of using them - to bounce the energy off of the skin and see irregularities in the reflected image. There is a minuscule exposure if you went into one that uses x-rays. Less than you receive naturally on a transatlantic flight. From what I understand - passengers will have the option of going through the scanner or going through a pat down.