"Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind," wrote the playwright John Milton in 1634.
But, nearly 400 years later, technological advances in machines that can read our thoughts mean the privacy of our brain is under threat.
Now two biomedical ethicists are calling for the creation of new human rights laws to ensure people are protected, including "the right to cognitive liberty" and "the right to mental integrity".
Scientists have already developed devices capable of telling whether people are politically right-wing or left-wing. In one experiment, researchers were able to read people's minds to tell with 70 per cent accuracy whether they planned to add or subtract two numbers.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 15 2017, @03:39PM (4 children)
My ex-parents were Christian fundamentalist-extremist assholes who thought Jesus the 5 Star General and Supreme Commander of the Army of the Apocalypse was going to return after the Jews implemented in the New World Order after Y2K (or someshit, I've tried my best to forget without the help of this exciting new technology) and lead a jihad to purge the Earth of infidels.
EF and my folks would probably get along pretty well. Actually not, on second thought. EF is more toned down and culturally sensitive to Judaism than my ex-parents were. Or at least I should say EF's theories about "them Jews!" (a catchphrase of one shortwave radio host) are more rational and actually have a shred of reality in them instead of just being batshit WTF Neon Genesis Evangelion caliber insanity.
THAT is why I want to erase memories of the first 20 years of my life. The only thing those memories have given me is PTSD and a severe hatred of Christianity.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Monday May 15 2017, @04:12PM (1 child)
Is that you, Brian Flemming [wikipedia.org]?
If not, you might appreciate this [youtube.com]. Here's more information [wikipedia.org] in case you are skeptical about giving up an hour of your life for a YouTube video
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 15 2017, @04:29PM
Thanks for the links. I'm always up for that kind of stuff. I'm an atheist more or less, but the Christian insanity lurks in the dark corners of the mind. I doubt it'll ever be eradicated without that Matrix plug I want.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 15 2017, @04:56PM (1 child)
What or who is "EF"?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 15 2017, @06:14PM
What or who is "EF"?
Just a guess, but I'd say it was our favorite scumbag, Ethanol-fueled [soylentnews.org].