Real Life "Minority Report" Pre-Crime Program

We all saw Minority Report in class and while it's an entertaining movie, it's certainly built on a sci-fi premise. It is difficult to believe that drugged up psychics, or precogs as they're called in the movie, could foresee future crimes and aid in preventing their occurrence. However, a Department of Homeland Security document details efforts to predict whether or not a person will commit a crime.

Unlike the film, DOHS is using algorithms in attempt to predict future crimes. Screening facilities factor "ethnicity, gender, breathing, and heart rate to 'detect cues indicative of mal-intent.'"

The article doesn't explain exactly how the data is used to determine mal-intent but it seems quite unreliable based on the few factors they are gathering. Despite the early stages of development, we can surely all see how society and government is becoming fused with technology to improve the world or make life easier.

Click here to read the article.