A scientist says he can scan prisoners' brains for signs of evil. Did his disputed science put a ...
theguardian.com
Kent Kiehl claims brain scans can detect violence in prisoners — and US courts are already acting on it, with grave consequences for the scanned.
Biological DeterminismNeurolawFree Will and Moral ResponsibilityDaubert Standard
Theory Briefing
- Kent Kiehl persuaded the US legal system that MRI scans of prisoners' brains can reveal signs of violent tendencies.
- Defense lawyers adopted his neuroscience theories, but the outcomes for the prisoners they represented have been severe.
- The science behind reading "evil" from brain structure remains disputed, yet it is already shaping real sentencing decisions.
- The case raises whether a contested brain scan should ever be enough to alter a person's legal fate.