The FACS, or Facial Action Coding System, can recognize emotions. This may allow us to "calculate" emotions like math homework. The computer constructs a 3-D computer model of the face; all 44 major muscle in the model must move like human muscles. Movement of one or more muscle is called an "action unit". Dr. Eckman, creator of FACS, has classified six basic emotions: happiness, suprise, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness, and then associated each with characteristic movements of the facial muscles.

However, my claim is that FACS technology shouldn't be used on people. Some people might want to keep some of their emotions to themselves. Most of us would have trouble actually describing each facial trait that conveys happy. For example, when talking about someone or a movie, some people don't want others to know how you really feel because it might hurt their feelings. You wouldn't someone saying they like your new haircut, when the FACS says they felt disgust when they saw your shirt. Peoples' emotions should be kept to themselves.

In comparison, others might say FACS technology should be used on people. You would be able to find the truth on how someone actually feels about something. In a false smile, the mouth is stretched sideways using the zygomatic major and a different muscule, the risorius. To an expert, faces don't lie. For example, when a dictator says he treats his citizens fairly, we can use the FACS technology to find out how he really treats them, or to spot when a "smiling" politician or celebrity isn't being truthful.

In conclusion, FACS technology can go both ways. It can be bad by revealing sensitve emotions that no one wouldn't want to be seen or heard. On the other hand, it can be used to catch deceiving individuals. Either way this technology can be a blessing or a curse. But in the it depends on who is using it and what their intentions are.