I thought this was a fun little point. Boeing‘s trying to work
out the effect of Wi-Fi on airplanes. Obviously a fairly
important thing to be doing. We all want to be able to use Wi-
Fi, but there’s a worry that it might have an effect on the
systems that control the plane. Which would not be good if a
version of Angry Birds got into the flight navigation computer
for example. So, in order to do this Boeing loads up a plane
with bags of potatoes. No, really: Boeing has hauled in around
20,000 pounds of potatoes to use as human substitutes during its
tests with airplane WiFi. The aircraft maker is checking that
onboard wireless signals don’t interfere with navigation and
communication systems. Groaningly titled SPUDS (Synthetic
Personnel Using Dielectric Substitution), the tubers apparently
replicate how airborne signals are bounced and absorbed by real-
life passengers, but without the need for Boeing to offer
complimentary snacks or tiny drinks during testing. You can see
Boeing’s video here. But why potatoes?