System designed to detect “hostile thoughts” in people

Tests prove that new US Department of Homeland Security system designed to detect “hostile thoughts” in people walking through border posts, airports and public places -- is a success -- meaning, it works.  Right out of the Twilight Zone my friends.

Project Hostile Intent was the original name of the project but is has since been changed to Future Attribute Screening Technologies (FAST), is aimed to help security staff choose who to pull over for a gently probing interview, or worse.

The idea is that 'sensors could spot people up to no good from their pulse rate, breathing, skin temperature, or fleeting facial expressions. One likened it to the “pre-crime” units that predict criminal behavior in the movie Minority Report.'    Well, we all know how well that worked out.

At an equestrian centre in Maryland, 140 paid volunteers walked through a pair of trailers kitted out with a battery of FAST sensors, including cameras, infrared heat sensors and an eyesafe laser radar, called a Bio-Lidar, that measures pulse and breathing rate from a distance.

Some subjects were told to act shifty, be evasive, deceptive and hostile. And many were detected. “We’re still very early on in this research, but it is looking very promising,” says DHS science spokesman John Verrico. “We are running at about 78% accuracy on mal-intent detection, and 80% on deception.”  (Short Sharp Science, and New Scientist)

Comments

[Debbie]

TX CHL Instructor: Excellent point. I was connected to professional studies in the education area in Nashville years ago. Strict rules are set forth ahead of the 'study', they are held sacred almost. To deviate skews the result of the study, which makes it worthless.

I cannot see how something like this can work.

[TX CHL Instructor]

1) The only thing that is worse than a lie detector that doesn't work, is one that *does*.

2) I haven't read the actual study, but if your description is accurate, the study did not establish a damned thing. There are two fundamental rules of scientific studies, the first being that if you aren't measuring, you are guessing, the second being if you are measuring the wrong thing(s), the answer(s) you get will be meaningless. This so-called "study" looks like it might be able to detect people who are *PRETENDING* to be anxious. Maybe.

Doh!

[Faultline USAFaul]

This is like the Twilight Zone and the outcome isn't going to be good for humanity.

[Maggie Thornton]

It will be interesting to see how many mad spouses they catch, or an employee who didn't make the sale and ponders telling his boss :-)

Maggie