There’s a lot of chatter in my on-line world right now about the so-called No-Lie MRI (or as it’s known in the scientific community, fMRI, f=functional). Some people believe brain imaging, alone or as one tool in a larger arsenal, may provide the ability to determine if someone is lying. The legal world, not surprisingly, is fascinated by this concept, but it seems like it’s a long way from being able to meet Daubert/Frye standards. Still, people are certainly talking about the potential this technology could have and the ethics of using it (on assailants, yes, but also on victims).
If you’re interested in reading more about fMRI, you can check out stories in several popular media outlets:
- Scientific American published an article in this month’s issue
- NPR has done multiple stories (which you can check out here, here, here and here). Thanks, Rhonda!
- Wired (January, 2006)
- USAToday (June 26, 2006)
The academic world has published quite a few pieces, as well. A small sample below:
- American Journal of Law and Medicine (2007)
- Brooklyn Law Review (2007–sorry, no electronic abstract, but email me if you want a copy of the article)
- Journal of Forensic Sciences (2009)
- British Journal of Psychiatry (2009)
- American Journal of Bioethics (2009– here and here, where they discuss pediatric use)
- Nature Review. Neuroscience (2008)
- Neurocase (2008)