No, I'm not dabbling in Sci-Fi here. It's entirely possible that it could happen to you if some of the biometric devices being tested to read your thoughts and intentions are adopted. It's not enough to know whether you're carrying a dangerous nail clipper or an ounce too much of Johnson's baby shampoo any more. They want to know your intentions and they think they can do it.
"Several Israeli-based technology companies are developing detection systems that pick up signs of emotional strain, a psychological red flag that a passenger may intend to commit an act of terror" says CNN.
"One firm, WeCU (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."
If the machine can tell the difference between the fear of losing your job if you're late for a meeting, fear of mind reading machines themselves; fear about any number of things including airplanes, I would be amazed, even though we do live in an age of amazing technology. Will the Mercedes dealer install these things to determine if you're really able to buy or are just kicking tires?
Technology gets smaller and cheaper at a predictable rate. I'm absolutely positive that within a few years it will be available for under $100 and be as small as a wristwatch or hearing aid or at least small enough to fit in your wife's purse. So don't rely on those Ray-Bans to keep her unaware of just how fascinating that mini-skirt in front of you is. She'll know.
Agreed, Fogg. My contention with this stuff is that if one can invent it, others will abuse it ... like the little bastards who use their cell phone cameras to sneak nasty pictures.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, there were a rash of abuses perpetrated at job interviews ... self-administered psychological tests to determine if an applicant was nuts or not. Problem was, these questionnaires were designed for diagnostic purposes to be administered and evaluated by qualified and licensed practitioners only. Yet, some employers got their dirty mittens on these tests and perpetrated them on unsuspecting job applicants.
Point: These inventions come out faster than we can regulate them, and there are always hotshots ready to use and abuse them.
Is there a local chapter of the Misanthrope Club in my area? I will see your penny and raise you thousand more.
Starts stinking of Big Brother doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteEven though I don’t travel much, I’ve run into a great deal of variety in TSA airport security habits and demeanors: some of them are very polite, kind and professional, while some staff seem like the sort of individuals who gravitate towards their jobs because they can’t deal with people unless they’re armed with a gun, a badge, and a billy club. I honestly don’t believe most of the security routines they carry out (beyond id checks and basic screening) have the slightest deterrent value, and I well recall the paranoia that prevailed after 9/11: agents grabbing canes from grandmothers and grandfathers, and all that. One agent pointed a semi-automatic weapon at me and snarled “keep moving” because my bad hip led me to stop to catch my balance before beginning my descent on an escalator. All I could do was laugh. This is what you get when you glide towards the security state: your governors regard you as mere human resource units that must be controlled and directed by whatever means are found most efficient.
ReplyDeleteSo now they’re going the high-tech route – it won’t work; the passions, as they used to call them a few hundred years ago, are not the kind of articulate language that can be interpreted reliably.
OH MY.
ReplyDeleteBeyond troubling is the road down which this is all taking us.