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Replacing Metal Detectors With Brain Scans
Zordak writes "CNN has up a story about several Israeli firms that want to replace metal detectors at airports with biometric readings. For example, with funding from TSA and DHS, 'WeCU ([creepily] pronounced "We See You") Technologies, employs a combination of infra-red technology, remote sensors and imagers, and flashing of subliminal images, such as a photo of Osama bin Laden. Developers say the combination of these technologies can detect a person's reaction to certain stimuli by reading body temperature, heart rate and respiration — signals a terrorist unwittingly emits before he plans to commit an attack.' Sensors may be embedded in the carpet, seats, and check-in screens. The stated goal is to read a passenger's 'intention' in a manner that is 'more fair, more effective and less expensive' than traditional profiling. But not to worry! WeCU's CEO says, 'We don't want you to feel that you are being interrogated.' And you may get through security in 20 to 30 seconds."
wonderful piece of technology known as the polygraph before..... don't polygraphs also rely (in part) on body temperature, heart rate and respiration?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
I have to wonder how they tested this to draw their conclusions about "how terrorists feel before boarding a plane." Grabbed a couple off the streets and offered them 80 virgins to take a survey or something?
I'm pretty sure the airport can generate anger,fear, and frustration in most people.
How good can this really be?
What about someone who is carrying a weapon without their knowledge? That won't show up on the scans. I could see the supplement current screening technologies if it ever is deployed, but not replace them.
Let's not even start about false positives....
Better not thing any doubleplus ungood thoughts, or have a friend that's Muslim.
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
'We don't want you to feel that you are being interrogated.' Yeah that might interfere with your interrogation.
And how did they devise a control for this?
AFAIK, there's no biometric scans of the 9/11 terrorists, so it's just like the company is guessing anyway. For all we know, terrorists could be the only completely calm people going through security, as they're the only ones not worried about arriving at their destination late.
I have no ill intentions, but I hate going anywhere unarmed. Maybe I could finally fly without having to give up my knife and sidearm.
"Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!"
Would these things detect that you're attempting to fart silently? Esp when you know that it will in all likelihood cause the person next to you chock to death? It could be considered a biological attack.
EVERYBODY KNOWS that if some asshole tries ANYTHING on a plane, the only thing to do is for the passengers to immediately stomp the life out of the motherfucker, no ifs, no ands, no buts. Just take him apart.
EVERYBODY KNOWS that, including the terrorists. As a consequence, there is really no point to screening people at airports.
If people want to blow up a plane, it's a lot easier to book a flight, check your bags full of bombs that are hooked up to timers, and then let it rip. The security at the checkpoint is ludicrous, and the security for checked baggage is even worse. So, if you want to blow up a plane, it's not hard.
If you want to commadeer the plane a la 9/11, the passengers will take you out before you even get to the cabin. They know they have nothing to lose.
So, as a consequence, there is NO point in this idiotic security theatre. None whatsoever. And the smiling jackasses who come up with this Orwellian technology are vampiric leeches with their fingers up the butt of the reactionary militarists and an invertebrate Congress.
And all it means is that flying on an airplane is just that much more insulting and that much more irritating, and that much less worth the trouble.
RS
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
Are there really people out there who think we can achieve a perfectly safe world? Spending more and more money for ever smaller incremental gains in safety? Is the cost really worth it? Is giving up your rights really worth it?
At some point you have to stop and say look, there's an inherent danger in life. Your own body can turn against you. Are you willing to give up all your money and all your rights to feel safe? But what's left to be worth living if you've given everything up?
I cringe every time I hear about somebody dying in some unique way, because I know there are going to be laws that follow to ensure that never happens again. Unfortunately, those laws tend to be far more overreaching and subject to abuse in ways that are far beyond what incident initiated them.
People die. Dying is a part of life.
From the submitted story text... ...detect a person's reaction to certain stimuli by reading body temperature, heart rate and respiration â" signals a terrorist unwittingly emits before he plans to commit an attack...
And nervous ordinary folk who have fear of flying, but must fly to somewhere anyway because of job/family/whatever, don't exhibit these very same kinds of physiological responses???
Especially when these days we add fear of terrorist hijackings and security gestapos in airports on top of their already being afraid to fly in the first place.
That's it... if there was any question about where that "too far" mark may be, we can be sure they have gone well beyond that point.
Now they can screen for all sorts of things... "gay"? "pedophile"? Who else can we decide to hate and persecute?
If all this stuff could potentially save my son's life, I still say NO!!
Pause for a moment to let the gravity of that sink in. Now go back and realize that there is more chance of a drunk driver killing him than a "terrorist." Regardless of which may happen, it will always feel tragic and there is no way to effectively protect ourselves from everything. This crap has got to stop.
Do you believe that your average flyer today has the courage and determination to go up against a determined person wanting to damage or bring down the aircraft?
They would if everyone who boarded an airliner was issued a Louisville Slugger baseball bat as they entered the front door of the airplane and by law had to hold it for the entire duration of the flight. This would work as a wonderful deterrent for anyone who otherwise would be an obnoxious passenger. Everyone would be very polite to one another.