elearnspace

As we come to understand more about the human brain, we quickly discover that we bump up against many of our views of free will, personal agency, privacy, and more. What is the outcome of this? Well, for starters, we are seeing misapplication of technology – i.e. using technology to do what it simply cannot do. Consider this astonishing article – India’s use of brain scans in courts dismays critics: “The new technology is, to its critics, Orwellian. Others view it as a silver bullet against terrorism that could render waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods obsolete. Some scientists predict the end of lying as we know it.”
On first read, the concept seems beyond credible. And yet, I recall years ago in a faculty meeting where significant funds were required to support LMS deployment. The decision makers didn’t understand what was being approved. The danger here is not technology in itself, but when people extend technology beyond what it is intended to reasonably do.