Look out for weapons of mass detection!
Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 10:08 pm
It seems the coalition of willing interrogators will go to extraordinary lengths to identify 'people of interest'. According to New Scientist magazine, the US Department of Defence asked for submissions on ways to develop what has been called a remote personal assessment (RPA) device.
In short - a lie detector of which the subject is unaware.
The Department hopes microwave or laser beams reflected off the skin of "moving and non co-operative subjects" could be used to calculate pulse, breathing rate and galvanic skin response.
Such a device could be used to identify signs of stress that might mark the subject as a possible terrorist or suicide bomber, or it could be used as a concealed lie detector during prisoner interrogation.
However, the standard polygraph test was the subject of a damning 2003 report from the US National Academy of Sciences, which says little for a remote version of the same thing. Possibly the scary but bright side for Defense, as suggested by the UK's Leeds Metropolitan University conflict analyst Steve Wright, is that RPA 'evidence' could be sufficient to justify 'prisoner rendition' to countries that do not recognise niceties in interrogation techniques.
Could the RPA be the US's weapon of mass detection? Anything is possible in the age of technology.
From "The Australian Senior" magazine.
Take care,
Gordon. :-2 :-2
In short - a lie detector of which the subject is unaware.
The Department hopes microwave or laser beams reflected off the skin of "moving and non co-operative subjects" could be used to calculate pulse, breathing rate and galvanic skin response.
Such a device could be used to identify signs of stress that might mark the subject as a possible terrorist or suicide bomber, or it could be used as a concealed lie detector during prisoner interrogation.
However, the standard polygraph test was the subject of a damning 2003 report from the US National Academy of Sciences, which says little for a remote version of the same thing. Possibly the scary but bright side for Defense, as suggested by the UK's Leeds Metropolitan University conflict analyst Steve Wright, is that RPA 'evidence' could be sufficient to justify 'prisoner rendition' to countries that do not recognise niceties in interrogation techniques.
Could the RPA be the US's weapon of mass detection? Anything is possible in the age of technology.
From "The Australian Senior" magazine.
Take care,
Gordon. :-2 :-2