By Matthew Schofield, a member of The Kansas City Star's editorial board

Here's a scary thought: Spies can listen to you type through your power outlet.

The BBC today reported on the findings by Andrea Barisani and Daniele Bianco, of Inverse Path, a security company. They're getting ready to discuss their findings at a conference in Las Vegas.

Now, the notion of international cabals fighting for position to learn first what you're about to type in response to this might not seem much of a threat ( I mean, you're planning on posting it, where they could read the words, minus the typos).

In fact, very little most of us ever type would be of much interest to the average CIA or MI6 agent, it does raise a vexing problem, for all of us.

Because once someone can figure out how to remotely spy on our typing, doesn't that raise the prospect that a lot of someones have discovered the same security leaks?

And while peeping at Midwest Voices posts a couple seconds early isn't much of a competitive advantage in this world, learning passwords, financial dealings and other private details is. And, as we're reminded daily, people are trying to listen in on these tidbits. I mean, hackers are already enough of a worry, aren't they? And now they have super powers?

But the worry goes beyond that. If people are able to recreate what we type by listening to the echoes from keyboard cables off power ground wires, it really raises the question of what aren't "they" capable of doing.

It's frightening, especially for those of us who get most of our science from Hollywood blockbusters. I mean, the odds of getting trapped in a plot to destroy the world seem pretty high, already.

So, for me, it's off to get a new tinfoil hat. But, then, by the time most people are reading this, you already knew that, didn't you?