Officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have told Northwest Airlines security specialists that the agency is developing brain-monitoring devices in cooperation with a commercial firm, which it did not identify."

Determining whether a pilot has "spaced out" is standard ELF radio stuff. Your brain emits a feild at one of three frequencies depending on whether you are in a tranced, lucid, or sleep state. I wanted to use this stuff to build an automatic DJ which would do track selection based on readings like this from the dance floor. If more people are lucid the music is bad and needs to change.

As for getting a clean EEG without flesh contact, its not bloody likely, but I wish them luck. However, I imagine there are some assorted readings that COULD be taken which would ID someone who was nervous or high on adrenalin. The implication of that IS disconcerting.

The article mentions being able to tell what areas of your brain are stimulated and using this information to determine what sort of thinking you are doing. I haven't read anything on that. If anyone can point me to papers I would be interested.

NASA plans to read terrorist's minds at airports -- The Washington Times