March 15, 2009
Cigarette smoking lady cops to read minds:
The International Herald Tribune has an unintentionally funny opinion piece where a rather poorly informed journalist publicly wets his pants about 'thought-decoding brain-scan technology' which, apparently, the police could be carrying in the future so they'll know if you're thinking rude things about them.
When the police stopped me for running a red light recently, I was thinking "Don't you cops have anything better to do?" But the words that came out of my mouth were a lot more guarded, something like, "Sorry, I thought it was green." Sometimes it's good to play the dumb foreigner.
The policewoman, a tough lady smoking a cigarette, glared at me. Was she reading my mind? No, I guess not, because she only gave me a warning. But beware, in a few years she might actually carry a device that can do that.
Research is rapidly advancing to allow thought-decoding through brain-scan technology, and it scares me to death. I don't want anyone else in my head, and certainly not the police.
It's a masterpiece of superficial reading of the scientific evidence and interpreting it in the most unrealistic and panicky way possible.
Link to IHT piece 'Watch what you think'.
