Mind-reading at the airport

(IMAGE PREVIOUSLY SEEN HERE WAS FAKE - SEE STORY IN GERMAN - CONTAINS NUDITY)

Our bodies are visible though we’re clothed. Your thoughts are the next thing to go public:

“Mind-reading systems could change air security”

I actually prefer the behavior-based systems to the invasive technical ones. And behavior-based strikes me as the hardest for the baddies to beat.

Update on January 8, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

Le Scan and Le Alien:

Paris airport to try scanners on US-bound flights

And registered, actual space alien James Carville has something lewd to say about scanners:

“Airport scanners can measure my p*#%”

Update on January 11, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

A privacy group says the Transportation Security Administration is misleading the public with claims that full-body scanners at airports cannot store or send their graphic images.

The TSA specified in 2008 documents that the machines must have image storage and sending abilities, the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said. - read more at CNN.com

Comments

[Lise]

Why do they always choose somewhat thin people for the body scanner demo shots?

[Alan Birnbaum]

"behavior-based systems"

sounds to be a synonym for PROFILING, as developed by the Israeli Mossad for Ben Gurion International Airport, and by historical record, very EFFECTIVE. As elsewhere discussed, this now seems unavoidable, regardless of the extent to which it might target black males with Islamic sounding names who in part grew up in a largely Muslim nation, among other demographic factors that might target...the President.

[Till]

I don't know why they choose a slim person but this particular model chosen by the Germans doesn't leave me indifferent. ;) Which means that a screener with a modicum of testosterone left would experience the same effect.

The image also shows in much better detail what the resolution of these machines is. Scanners are not the answer! Behavioral systems do smack of nazis, sorry. The risk is frankly not that great. If people would understand that, the entire problem wouldn't be there.

[Frank@OBOW]

In the interest of fairness, I added a photo of an out-of-shape man. I’ve also covered up the most provocative region of the original photo. I should have from the outset - sorry.

[Linda]

The link no longer works...

[Frank@OBOW]

Fixed link - AP (my wife's former employer) is a moving target apparently.

[Linda]

Thanks!

[Paula S]

I wonder how many people have suddenly started a diet / exercise regime, knowing they will be flying this year and going through the body scanner.

[Till]

That would be fantastic. The body scanner as a health measure. The irony! Do you think a lot of people will get penis or breast enhancements, too? I wonder if one could have some fun with messages written on your body. It doesn't see tattoos but one could use a paint with some lead in it. Or just some paper letters cut out and affixed with adhesive. Put it on your belly with a message like "Dirty Old Man!". If they give you trouble you could still say it was referring to yourself and ask if they finally want to give you a good pat down now. (evil grin).

[Anonymous]

It's fake http://www.bildblog.de/14866/kehraus-2009/

[Till]

Very interesting link. Possibly not work or child safe for some sensitive souls, if I may add.

Thanks for posting. Lesson learned: Don't only not trust TSA but also never trust Bild! I still am pretty sure that the resolution on the TSA photos they show us is artificially lowered because people would be not as easily convinced. I have no proof of that, of course. But it seems reasonable to apply a healthy dose of suspicion to everything they do and don't do.

[Frank@OBOW]

Till - I ran the free translator on the German post but you can probably give us the gist of what it says...added the nudity disclaimer that I omitted in my haste.

[Till]

What the post says is that Bild (the biggest German tabloid) didn't take original scanner photos. They took the photos you can see in the link from an image base provider and then photoshopped them to look like scanner pictures. It is important to stay critical. That does not automatically mean that scanner pictures are not as good as this. They are. You can see whether a man is circumcised or not for example.

Bild is usually not super trustworthy but they do have some very savvy and tricky journalists that sometimes make scandalous discoveries. For good journalistic articles you have to read Spiegel.

[Cindy H]

http://www.fraterslibertas.com/Images/Separated/nosferatu.jpg

Sorry, but the Carville pic was too much!