India convicts person of a crime based on mind reading machine

[Simas]

Thought this was pretty wild.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/wo...ewanted=1&_r=1

Now, well before any consensus on the technology’s readiness, India has become the first country to convict someone of a crime relying on evidence from this controversial machine: a brain scanner that produces images of the human mind in action and is said to reveal signs that a suspect remembers details of the crime in question.

[Warrian]

Originally Posted by Simas

Indian convicts person of a crime based on mind reading machine.

Indian?

[Simas]

Well damn I added an "n", but I imagine the judge and/or jury were indian so im not too worried about it, still works.

[Malakriss]

Does the machine actually work? I have no problem with this if it does. Primary source (memory) would be more proof than witness testimony.

Edit: Misread, thought it was a new machine with more accurate results. Apparently it's only using conventional equipment, so I'll remain skeptical.

[Twobit Whore]

Well, it's a step up from licking hot pans.

[Tolanin]

Originally Posted by Malakriss

Does the machine actually work? I have no problem with this if it does. Primary source (memory) would be more proof than witness testimony.

but we have the ability to plea the fifth here, wonder how the courts would decide the application of that amendment to a mind reading machine.

[Szlia]

Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime is death.

[Brutul Tarew Marr]

If they sink then they're not a witch.

[EnigmaticParadigm]

"Minority" Report.

C wut I ded thar?

IF I HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT, THEN ITS NOT FUNNY.

[Phelps]

The human brain reacts certain ways to certain stimuli. I would only assume that the wonder machine they are using is none other than an MRI type device.

When you have a thought or stimulus, certain areas of the brain will react; they use this to find things like cancer and locate areas of the brain that accomplish certain tasks.

This may or may not violate some part of India's constitution, if there is something such as pleading the 5th there. However, this would fall into a grey-area. It's an anatomical polygraph in this case.

You would, of course, have to have very specific control questions for something like murder: Thinking about a dead person versus thinking about someone you killed, for example, could invoke different reactions. Then there's the part where you could think about goatse the entire time and throw the thing off.