Traditional Security is Best

Hayley Thull wrote a blog about airport security. She wrote that Homeland Secruity has funded a new project called Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST). It is a technology that measures bodily functions. Examples are breathing, eye-movement, heart-rate, facial temperature, and blinking. She states that Robert Burns, project manager, believes that this will be the future of airport security. He thinks that a terrorist will naturally show signs of high-stress.

Article:http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/06/security.screening/index.html#cnnSTCText

Hayley hopes that this isn't the direction we are headed. She says that anyone can show signs of stress because of a delayed flight, the thought of flying, or a mother scared of lossing a family member in the hustle and bustle of the airport. Hayley also says that she finds airport security intimidating and that would stress her out. She believes that a person under stress doesn't necessarily have something to hide.

She then states that terrorists aren't normal people who get stressed out in normal situations. They could be calm nad collected right before they high-jack a plane. She thinks that they might be able to pass right through FAST detectors.

Hayley thinks that the FAST system could be used as a back-up plan and she isn't comfortable with getting rid of the rest of the security and relying on a machine that measures bodily functions.

Hayley's Blog: http://currenteventsbyhayley.blogspot.com/2010/01/traditional-security-is-best.html

I agree with Hayley on everything. I have never flown in a plane before so of course I will be nervous of my first time flying and probably stressed out. FAST would most likely detect this and probably think that I have something to hide when really I am just nervous. I think that measuring bodily functions for our security is not the only thing we should rely on. As Hayley stated people can be stressed out for many different reasons. Yes, getting rid of the intimidating airport security would be nice but I think that there needs to be some more research done on FAST to show that it is 100% effective. Also terrorists aren't really normal people so they probably won't be wigged out about kill people. So they might not be showing any signs of being stressed out. I think that we should do more research and still use our airport security that is being used now before we make a major switch to the FAST system.