February 24, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick Lin
Cal Poly Philosophy Department
805-756-7295; palin@calpoly.edu
Stanford Professor Speaks On Neuroscience and Ethics March 12
Issues include prediction, mind-reading, responsibility, consciousness and more
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – Stanford Law Professor Hank Greely will deliver a lecture entitled “Neuroscience: Scientific Revolutions, Social Challenges” on Friday, March 12 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Philips Hall in the Performing Art Center (Bldg. 6, Rm. 124). The talk is part of the Technology & Ethics Lecture Series presented by the Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group at Cal Poly.
Neuroscience is a developing area of research into the human mind. While it may help answer age-old questions, it also raises new questions such as:
Do we have free will? If not, can we really be responsible for our actions?
Can brain scans tell whether a person is likely to act criminally? If so, what should be done about it?
Can brain scans show when a witness is lying?
What colors, sounds or smells make a consumer more likely to buy and if so, is it ethical to use those and other subconscious triggers in marketing?
Greely will focus on six areas: prediction, mind-reading, responsibility, consciousness, treatment and enhancement. The talk will provide an introduction to the new and burgeoning study of “neuroethics,” the ethical, legal and social implications of neuroscience.
“Like so many new technologies, neuroscience can offer tremendous benefits to society, such as finding medical cures, but it also seems to hold the potential for abuse and misuse, which is why it’s important to understand the issues,” said Patrick Lin, director of the Ethics + Emerging Science Group at Cal Poly. “Professor Greely works on the leading edge of the field, so his talk is a unique opportunity for our community to learn about neuroethics straight from the source.”
For more information, contact Patrick Lin at palin@calpoly.edu or visit http://ethics.calpoly.edu.
About the Ethics + Emerging Science Group
Based at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, the Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group is a non-partisan research and educational organization focused on the risk, ethical, and social impacts of emerging technologies. Current projects and interests are related to issues in robotics, human enhancement, nanotechnology, space development and other areas. For more information, go to http://ethics.calpoly.edu or www.emergingethics.com.
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