Brain Fingerprinting

Jessica LaksJessica Laks

April 26, 2005April 26, 2005

Background

Brain fingerprinting: technique used to Brain fingerprinting: technique used to determine scientifically what information is, determine scientifically what information is, or is not stored in a particular brainor is not stored in a particular brain

Not a measure of guilt or innocenceNot a measure of guilt or innocence Measures the response to visual or audio Measures the response to visual or audio

stimulusstimulus

Applications

National securityNational security Medical diagnosisMedical diagnosis

Alzheimer’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s Disease AdvertisingAdvertising Crimial justice systemCrimial justice system

National Security

Identify terrorists and Identify terrorists and accomplices prior to accomplices prior to attacks by determining attacks by determining whether specific whether specific information is information is embedded in the embedded in the memory of the subjectmemory of the subject

Medical Field

Alzheimer’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s Disease Detects P300 Detects P300

brainwavebrainwave Symptoms Symptoms

reversible through reversible through dietary and dietary and medicinal changesmedicinal changes

Pharmeceutical Pharmeceutical companiescompanies See effects of new See effects of new

medicationmedication Doctors can Doctors can

monitor treatments monitor treatments and adjust themand adjust them

Advertising

Brain fingerprinting allows advertisers to Brain fingerprinting allows advertisers to determine what information from an ad is determine what information from an ad is retained in memoryretained in memory What elements do people pay attention toWhat elements do people pay attention to What type of media is most effectiveWhat type of media is most effective How to advertise to people all over the How to advertise to people all over the

worldworld

Criminal Justice

Used with MERMER technologyUsed with MERMER technology FBI and CIA endorsed to convict criminalsFBI and CIA endorsed to convict criminals

P300 brainwave is emitted if a memory P300 brainwave is emitted if a memory of presented stimulus exists in the brainof presented stimulus exists in the brain

Difference between perpetrator and the Difference between perpetrator and the innocent is the memory of the crime innocent is the memory of the crime scene embedded in the brainscene embedded in the brain

National National securitysecurity

Medical Medical diagnosisdiagnosis

AdvertisingAdvertising Criminal Criminal justicejustice

ProsPros •Safer USSafer US•Stop terrorists Stop terrorists before they before they attackattack

•Can save Can save thousands of thousands of lives by early lives by early detectiondetection•More More personalized personalized treatmentstreatments

•Focus ad Focus ad campaigns campaigns specifically on specifically on what workswhat works

•Puts criminals Puts criminals in jailin jail•Reduces Reduces number of false number of false accusationsaccusations

ConsCons •Infringement Infringement of privacy for of privacy for citizenscitizens•Can rely on Can rely on racial profilingracial profiling

•Time Time consuming for consuming for patients who patients who need constant need constant monitoringmonitoring

•Constant testing Constant testing for new products for new products can become time can become time consuming and consuming and expensiveexpensive•Must find random Must find random people to use as people to use as test subjectstest subjects

•Possibility of Possibility of inaccuracyinaccuracy•Can be relied Can be relied on too heavilyon too heavily

References

http://www.nightwithafuturist.comhttp://www.nightwithafuturist.com

http://brainwavescience.comhttp://brainwavescience.com

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/07/0705_wirelies.html2001/07/0705_wirelies.html