Spring is a time of birds chirping, bees buzzing and nuclear device detecting, so says the Bush administration. Two new programs will help sniff out threats posed by nuclear devices and dirty bombs. New machines designed to screen cargo in order to distinguish between naturally occurring radiation and bomb-building ingredients will be tested at a Staten Island port terminal. And as if that weren’t we-mean-business enough, the Department of Homeland Security plans to install radiation alarms at bridges, tunnels, roadways and waterways around the perimeter of the city. The project, at least partially developed in response to intelligence showing that Al Qaeda hopes to detonate a nuclear bomb in the country, will run the federal government nearly $50 million. But despite the heroic efforts, there are many who doubt that such programs will offer enough bang for the buck (or, really prevent a bang for the buck). If the program works, other cities may well get their own halo of security in the future.