It just became possible, thanks to a laser camera developed by physicists at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, UK. You can pretty much see how it works from the images above -- laser beams are bounced off the target and the duration of their return journey is measured precisely enough to detect millimeter depth changes even at extreme distances.
Lonski added that the depth of the cut--the Fed usually operates in more measured 25 point increments--shows that the central bank agrees with a consensus view that there is a 32% probability of recession in the next 12 months.