NASA plans to read terrorist's minds at airports

Washington Times ^ | 8/17/02 | Frank J. Murray

[kattracks]

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.

[spetznaz]

Tin-foil alert ......psychics at the gates (superfragilisticexpialidocious tin-foil cap required or else)!

By the way, just wondering! Wouldn't a person who is prepared to die as a matyr have a stress level that is extremely low since this is a religious duty? I am basing this on the Japanese Kamikaze who, once they had agreed on becoming the avenging wind, would suddenly seem to have a very relaxed countenance and psyche. I know the crazy Arab jehadis are not Zen masters, but they still have that stupid zeal of theirs, and once they set their minds do they not also become virtual automatons and go about their task with little detectable emotion?

I am just wondering if the traits of one type of suicidal maniac is transferrable to another (and also if you consider the Assassin clans of the arabia of yore also were said to be quite relaxed, even after consuming considerable amounts of Hashish before embarking on their murders).

I am not a keen follower of psychology, however i was just wondering if that may be the case. I know it would be perfect against drug traffickers since many (especially the new ones) are so fidgety that they can be identified by skilled customs officials. However a person who has made peace with his 'god' and is set to meet his scores of virgins?

Just a question?

[Cvengr]

...It's the CIA that does all the mind reading. The CIA and the "watchers"...shhhh, that's one of them right now...right up there on the black helicopter..."

Yeah,...but it's NASA that watches the watchers before they get on the black helicopters,..hehehehe. Now who'dya suppose are watching the watchers watching NASA?????

[Cvengr]

Ft Meade or Montauk AFB?

[Cvengr]

How much do F.B.I. agents make a year BTW?

Must depend on how much you think they make and NASA reports,...;^)

[Cvengr]

"This is, in no way the Mark of the Beast."

Funny you should bring this up. I suspect there might be something very interfering in this type of technology with respect to prayer between man and God. It's also one of the few things that might mark a turning point in what God will simply allow to ensue unanswered. I believe it's treading on thin ice, spiritually.

[Pistias]

Sounds like a psyop to me. I would think millivolt potentials from the brain and heart would be rather difficult to detect given the electronics in the airports and on the passengers, especially at a distance. Even if one could, what's the point? Measure heart rate and "brain activity?" Whoop dee do--a good attack wouldn't have nervous soldiers (and a mild sedative would probably be more than enough in case of expendable soldiers), and the false positives would be enormous given the worry over attacks and simple nerves.

[Pistias]

MRI telescope...amigdala

You need to bone up on your neuroscience, pal.

[avenir]

The notion has raised privacy concerns.

You have to laugh to keep from crying.

[ramdalesh]

According to what I remember from college. The Amigdala controls the flight or flight mechanism. The Hypocampus is the memory center of the brain. I'm not really an expert, but my guess is that they'll be looking for it in either the hypocampus, or else the amigdala. I suppose they could find something in the speech center center of the brain. On discovery channel: A new lie detector test uses an MRI scan. It shows that when a person is lying there is hyperactivity in the speech center of the brain.

So this is probably the application of the MRI Lie Detector test.

If you don't really know but shoot your mouth off anyway, does that make me a liar?

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I believe it's treading on thin ice, spiritually.

This technology is no more complicated than a mood ring. It leaves no marks on the body. All it does is measure brain activity. Reading actual thoughts is not even possible yet.

It will psyche those nuts out. If it scares us, imagine how much it scares them.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

(and a mild sedative would probably be more than enough in case of expendable soldiers)

Excessive low brain activity could also be detected. Don't let either on board. Fast or slow brain activity. People can take their air sickness pills after crossing the gate.

[biffalobull]

If that is the case then why don't they just use satellight telescopy and fast fourier transform to take photographs of a "Global CAT Scan, or MRI scan". Program a computer to analyse the data and isolate the terrorists by looking for regions of the picture where the people in the picture have an overactive "Amigdala" in their brains. Then cross reference this information to the geographical information systems database about the regions where the (red amigdala) points show up from telescopy. This technique would require the skills of astronomers, but instead of searching for stars quasars, black holes, distant, galaxies and micrawave background radiation, they will be looking for chemical readings related to terrorism. Then go to their front doors and arrest them.

ram; this is a great idea, but can't you come up with a way to keep my baggage from being destroyed, and/or lost for two days. Please try. This would be much more beneficial. Have a nice day

[Pistias]

If you don't really know

I'm premed with a neuroscience focus; I don't know, but I know enough about MRI to know that it takes a huge cycling magnet and about twenty minutes at least...and I know that the brain is incredibly complex, that neuroscience is in its barest infancy, and that most of what we do with it is so crude as to be either only applicable in very specific circumstances or so gross as to cause massive side effects.

[Pistias]

Lie detectors only work because people think they do--if they're not nervous, they detect nothing.

[ramdalesh]

In the experiment that these scientists did a deck of cards was used, and the test subject was totally relaxed. Was shown a several cards and lied at random. The scan showed that the number of neurons used in the speech center was significantly more even though there was no change in breathing rate, body temperature, or heartrate.

I love freerepublic.

[VaBthang4]

Yeah I saw this...

I dont know what to make of it. You get so many "popular mechanic" type of stories that you have to start filtering out some stuff. This to me is one of them...let me see it bust some guy for thinking about the screeners double Ds then I'll pay attention.

[B Knotts]

Bet you could block it with a Traficant hat.