Do you think the general public understands – or even needs to understand – the ethical issues raised by neuroimaging?
Illes: I think the public knows that modern neuroimaging research has produced the possibility of monitoring thought in ways you couldn’t before. However, I don’t think people understand the real promises and limitations of the research, and the extent to which it could be used to predict disease or personality traits, such as the tendency toward aggression or lying. The public needs to be involved in informed discussions of how this research proceeds and how that information will be used.
