FBI Fingerprinting criminal brains- Yes, you read right

Brain fingerprinting done by the FBI...This is a scary process.

"The technique relies on electrical signals in the brain
A controversial technique for identifying a criminal mind using involuntary brainwaves that could reveal guilt or innocence is about to take centre stage in a last-chance court appeal against a death-row conviction in the US.
The technique, called "brain fingerprinting", has already been tested by the FBI and has now become part of the key evidence to overturn the murder conviction of Jimmy Ray Slaughter who is facing execution in Oklahoma.

Brain Fingerprinting, developed by Dr Larry Farwell, chief scientist and founder of Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories, is a method of reading the brain's involuntary electrical activity in response to a subject being shown certain images relating to a crime.

Unlike the polygraph or lie detector to which it is often compared, the accuracy of this technology lies in its ability to pick up the electrical signal, known as a p300 wave, before the suspect has time to affect the output.

"It is highly scientific, brain fingerprinting doesn't have anything to do with the emotions, whether a person is sweating or not; it simply detects scientifically if that information is stored in the brain," says Dr Farwell.

"It doesn't depend upon the subjective interpretation of the person conducting the test. The computer monitors the information and comes up with information present or information absent."

Brain fingerprinting doesn't have anything to do with the emotions, whether a person is sweating or not; it simply detects scientifically if that information is stored in the brain.

Dr Larry Farwell -
"Brain fingerprinting is admissible in court for use in identifying or exonerating individuals in the US."

Souce and full story

Note- this is very likely to considered breaking news of great interest, in lieu of the recent court ruling. If mods prefer, please move to ATSNN.

[Edited on 19-2-2004 by Journey]

Wow so this is currently going to be used to determine guilt, possibly to save a life. I wish someone would come up with a way to determine with 100% accuracy whether someone is guilty or not, there are cases of people imprisoned who are innocent and other people have confessed to the crime but yet the state hangs on to them. Of course I'm only looking at the good that this might do, I'm sure there is a down side to it also.

insane. the things were comin up with.
i assume this isnt 100%, it cudnt be.
i jsut see two real problems. one is that fact that, as u mentioned, it provides the information before the criminal can even react, which really defeates the purpose of the lie test, theyll still want to take down what he/she says.
the other is that how does it register if u dont no?
"Where were you on the night of April 7th?!" "I dont no!" "Hes lying!"
it poses a problem, i doubt theres a detectable and cosntant midground between lying and truth.

Check out brain finger printing home yes, it is real. It really makes one wonder, huh?

Brain Fingerprinting Home

Man o man, this is wild. After googling up impressive reviews and remarks I must say that I am intrigued. Read the following, link provided afterwards.


Brainwave Sensor Touted as Tool in Counter-Terrorism

by James Cavuoto, editor

An Iowa firm called Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories, Inc., is positioning its EEG-based brain-state analysis system as a potential tool in the fight against terrorism. The device, consisting of a headband sensor, EEG amplifier, and computer-based signal processor, attempts to detect whether a subject or suspect has had prior association with specific words, images, or other stimuli. The system is likely to generate as much controversy as it does public attention in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11.

BFL founder and president Larry Farwell would not say whether the U.S. government is planning to use the system with detainees suspected of participating in or having awareness of terrorist acts. But he has participated in several research studies funded by government agencies, including the FBI, CIA, and U.S. Navy.

In a test conducted with the FBI, the system was able to accurately identify FBI agents based on their brain wave responses when presented with relevant terms compared to irrelevant stimuli. In a similar manner, Farwell says the system could help intelligence agencies differentiate an innocent Afghani student from a member of a terrorist cell.

The brain fingerprinting system works by presenting to a subject relevant words, phrases, or pictures that would only be known by a perpetrator of an act. The subject wears a headband with sensors that measure the EEG from several locations on the scalp. Farwell has defined a response known as a MERMER, memory and encoding related multifaceted electroencephalographic response, which is derived from the EEG data at different sites. The main component of a MERMER is the P300 wave, an evoked response that has been well studied in the scientific literature as a potential indicator of recognision.

Link to above statement

I am going to put on my foil hat now


For the legal ruling, check this out-
Brain Finger Printing Court Ruling

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer

the other is that how does it register if u dont no?
"Where were you on the night of April 7th?!" "I dont no!" "Hes lying!"

That's the thing. If it asks you if you were at the scene of a crime, and your brain lacks information about that area, it works. "Forgetting" about the night in question would actually be helpful to you.

it poses a problem, i doubt theres a detectable and cosntant midground between lying and truth.

It's better than nothing.

i dunno how courts will view this. invasion of privacy? theyre really going into ur head here, basically skipping ur testimony.
i only hope to god we never get that far

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer
i dunno how courts will view this. invasion of privacy? theyre really going into ur head here, basically skipping ur testimony.
i only hope to god we never get that far [/quote

Sounds to me as if we are already there.

no, im talkin minority report (good book/movie) stuff here. currently, there is still a large amount of human input. a system like that, which revolves around jsut the brain, no subjectivity, whichis really a bittersweet boon.