Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows researchers to create maps of the brain’s network actions as they process thoughts, sensations, memories, and motor commands. Cool technology to help diagnose and gather information about diseases and disorders like Alzheimer’s.
It can also be used to analyze your brain activities and tell whether you are lying. It is the new age lie detector and apparently, you cannot fool it. Talk about Orwellian 1984 stuff! The uses of fMRI’s are not approved for legal purposes yet. I wonder if it assesses other cognitive processes at the same time you are being scanned for deception. Is there any guarantee the changes in brain activity being monitored are the only due to truth vs. lying or could something else alter these and thus innocent individuals could appear guilty, or guilty individuals could appear innocent.
There are handheld scanners being developed Britton Chance, a professor emeritus of biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania, has developed one that records brain activity as fMRI lie detection. The January 06 issue of Wired magazine has an interesting article that delves into this subject.
Chance states the next step
”is to develop a system that can be used discreetly in airports and security checkpoints for “remote sensing” of brain activity. […] “It would certainly represent an invasion of privacy”
Talk about Thought Police. In the realm of Civil Rights and this administration’s record, I do believe there is cause for concern that this technology’s development will be more along the spying aspect than the medical research lines.
