Brain Fingerprinting

Jessica Laks
April 26, 2005

Background
Brain fingerprinting: technique used to
determine scientifically what information is,
or is not stored in a particular brain
Not a measure of guilt or innocence
Measures the response to visual or audio
stimulus

Applications
National security
Medical diagnosis
Alzheimers Disease
Advertising
Crimial justice system

National Security

Identify terrorists and

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

Medical Field

Alzheimers Disease
Detects P300
brainwave
Symptoms
reversible through
dietary and
medicinal changes

Pharmeceutical
companies
See effects of new
medication
Doctors can
monitor treatments
and adjust them

Advertising

Brain fingerprinting allows advertisers to

determine what information from an ad is
retained in memory
What elements do people pay attention to
What type of media is most effective
How to advertise to people all over the
world

Criminal Justice
Used with MERMER technology
FBI and CIA endorsed to convict criminals
P300 brainwave is emitted if a memory
of presented stimulus exists in the brain
Difference between perpetrator and the
innocent is the memory of the crime
scene embedded in the brain

Pros

National
security

Medical
diagnosis

Advertising

Criminal
justice

Safer US

Can save

Puts criminals

Stop terrorists

thousands of
lives by early
detection
More
personalized
treatments

Focus ad

Infringement

Time

Constant testing

Possibility of

before they
attack

Cons

of privacy for
citizens
Can rely on
racial profiling

consuming for
patients who
need constant
monitoring

campaigns
specifically on
what works

for new products

can become time
consuming and
expensive
Must find random
people to use as
test subjects

in jail
Reduces
number of false
accusations

inaccuracy
Can be relied
on too heavily

References

http://www.nightwithafuturist.com

http://brainwavescience.com

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2
001/07/0705_wirelies.html