In an amount upwards of $20 million, the Department of Homeland Security is currently funding a project called ‘Future Attribute Screening Technology’ (FAST) which may soon replace current security protocol in airports, convention centers, mass transit centers, federal buildings and stadiums - essentially anywhere there are security concerns.

FAST utilizes cameras and specialized sensors to monitor natural signals coming from one’s body: rather than stripping, searching and patting down a person, the sensors can measure one’s natural bodily signals, such as heartbeat, body temperature, eye movement, fidgeting and breathing patterns.

According to project manager Robert Burns, “Those physiological signs, measured together, will indicate whether you might have the desire or intent to do harm,” drawing on the prevalence of studies connecting such physical reactions to one’s mental state.

Burns also claims that FAST will pick up these physical cues faster and more accurately than a human could, therefore helping security personnel make quicker decisions on moving targets to secondary screening.

Sure, it all sounds a bit far-fetched: how can we trust the science of it? Won’t there be kinks? Critics are indeed raising such questions, questioning the viability of it all, calling it “pie-in-the-sky science fiction,” while civil libertarians deem it a clearcut invasion of privacy.

Honestly, it seems a bit ridiculous. First, consider how many people get anxious when flying; it’s one of the biggest human fears. So, naturally, people’s heart rates, breathing, eye movements and fidgeting are likely to increase while in an airport. And wouldn’t this lead to inconsistent readings of potential danger?

Imagine: a nervous, shaking woman, frightened out of her mind about flying, pulled aside by two brutish security guards and dragged off into a dark, back room for questioning. Upsetting!

Second, consider how the knowledge of such systems may affect the preparation tactics of those intending to do harm in public places. Just like some can find ways to beat Polygraph tests, I’m sure they can find ways to keep their physical signals at normal levels. And if they do, and regular search protocol is put on the back burner, they can slip right by. Creepy!

In theory, the proposed security system seems sound enough to be passable, but upon further investigation, it actually seems a bit problematic. The safety of thousands upon thousands of humans may be too much for a few cameras and sensors to handle on their own.

So, tell me: how do YOU feel about FAST?