FC: NASA wants to read passenger minds at airports

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020817-704732.htm

NASA plans to read terrorist's minds at airports
By Frank J. Murray
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Airport security screeners may soon try to read the minds of travelers to 
identify terrorists.

Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have told 
Northwest Airlines security specialists that the agency is developing 
brain- monitoring devices in cooperation with a commercial firm, which it 
did not identify.

Space technology would be adapted to receive and analyze brain-wave and 
heartbeat patterns, then feed that data into computerized programs "to 
detect passengers who potentially might pose a threat," according to 
briefing documents obtained by The Washington Times.

NASA wants to use "noninvasive neuro-electric sensors," imbedded in gates, 
to collect tiny electric signals that all brains and hearts transmit. 
Computers would apply statistical algorithms to correlate physiologic 
patterns with computerized data on travel routines, criminal background and 
credit information from "hundreds to thousands of data sources," NASA 
documents say.

[...]




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