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Reading Brains

Submitted by x on Mon, 03/26/2007 - 11:52pm.

I don't know whether to say the possibility of Minority Report becoming reality is awesome or horrifying. I am intrigued by the idea that a brain scan can predict or somehow illuminate what people are thinking. I thought those technologies could only be used to detect tumors or other kinds of physical, medical properties in the brain. Can they now detect emotional ones too? Can these machines translate certain actions of the brain into a language that we can interpret to better understand people's actions?

This is intriguing (or dangerous, depending on who you ask) on so many levels. Will people with certain kinds of mental disorders soon be able to go in to a doctor and be told exactly what they're feeling based on reactions in their brains? Will people be able to validate certain parts of their identity construed as choice (sexuality, for example) based on certain reactions in the brain?

The mixing of science and law is also fascinating. I want to read your web paper :)

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