Brains on Trial - Neuroscience and Law

Explore the intersection of neuroscience and law in this thought-provoking 95-minute panel discussion from the World Science Festival. Delve into the potential and ethical implications of using brain scanning technology in courtrooms to determine guilt or innocence. Join a distinguished group of neuroscientists and legal experts as they debate the role of neuroscience in shaping laws and criminal treatment. Examine topics such as the reliability of brain imaging, the impact of age and peer pressure on decision-making, and the challenges of studying adolescent brains. Consider the implications of mobile scanning units in prisons and the treatment of psychopaths in the legal system. Gain insights into the future goals of brain scanning in criminal justice and the complex relationship between neuroscience and the law.

Alan Alda's Introduction
Participant Introductions
Brain imaging that can read your mind.
Can we trust what technology is telling us?
Can the brain imaging tell the difference between reality and imagination?
When does this information come into the courtroom?
fMRI and what it does.
Information bias and technology.
Printing images of your thoughts.
Teaching a computer the brain patterns to know it all.
Jed S. Rakoff, Kent Kiehl and Jay N. Giedd join the conversation.
Studding the adolescent brain.
How much is age a factor in sentencing?
Should we introduce mandatory brain scanning into criminal sentencing?
The influence of peer pressure on decision making.
Creating a mobile scanning unit for prisons.
If the presents of others in decision making is dangerous, how does a prison atmosphere effect the danger?
If someone is a psychopath should they just be given longer sentence?
What are the goals for the future of brain scanning and the legal system?