From: Ken McGlothlen <mcglk@cpac.washington.edu>
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 94 07:37:06 PST
To: ian@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Surveillance cameras
In-Reply-To: <9574.9403110955@geography.leeds.ac.uk>
Message-ID: <9403111539.AA26963@yang.cpac.washington.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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ian@geog.leeds.ac.uk (Ian Turton) writes:

| There was an article in a recent New Scientist (maybe last week) that
| mentioned the use of infrared scans of faces to identify people since its
| very hard to change the thermal image of your face by surgery.  The plan is
| to scan every one passing through the airport and forward the image to the
| FBI [...]

"Stewardess?  Could I get some extra ice?"

IR scans can be *so* easily messed up that I'm amazed anyone is seriously
suggesting this.  A facial scan can be messed up by downing a cold drink.
Downing a hot drink.  Ambient temperature.  Sweating.  Sucking an ice cube,
though, is one of the easiest.  Or just running it across your forehead and
cheeks.  Even a hat can mess one up as far as recognition purposes go.

				---Ken McGlothlen
				   mcglk@cpac.washington.edu
				   mcglk@cpac.bitnet
				   mcglk@c3po.ring.wizards.com (NeXTmail)