The Future of Neuroscience
What used to be the "future" of neuroscience, such as finding solutions to enhancing physical or cognitive abilities, has now been found. With this in mind, how fast is the topic of neuroscience growing if scientists are already capable of modifying thinking and behavior?
SOCIAL
Issue: Buying Happiness
Should the wealthy be the only ones with the privilege of using mood enhancing drugs? Much of society already acts in this fashion anyway, with the rich gaining benefits that others do not. But the fact that economics is involved in all of this implies that there is a way to "buy happiness". How does this differ from the use of stimulants or depressants such as cocaine or marijuana other than potentially having no side effects? If this is the case, then happiness is reserved only for those who can afford it.
The saying that "everything must come with hard work" has been around for countless years. What would happen if you take away the effort, or the motivation, for seeking satisfaction? It could potentially raise the "normalcy" standards to the point of mood enhancing drug use being seen as common. Drugs that enhance mood, like any other drugs, can also have the potential to be abused, so what is stopping people from overdosing?
There are already truth detecting devices that monitor the way you respond to true and false questions such as the polygraph. They take your answers and watch for any unsubtlties in speech or heartrate to distinguish the truth from a lie. However, if the use of brain scanning is incorporated, can the truth and possibly more be discovered? Privacy is a major social issue in almost every argument, including the privacy of our thoughts, and what could be more private than what goes on in our heads? But there are positive things that may benefit such as rightfully sentencing criminals because we can discover if they are telling the truth or not.
ETHICAL
Although many see going through life in a positive mood appealing, they may become uneasy when the solution involves drugs. The thing that first comes to mind in some is most likely the numerous side effects that can arise when using these drugs, especially with daily use. Permanent, hidden, or long-term unwanted symptoms cause many to be uncomfortable to the thought. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must always make sure that a drug is tested and passes the safety test before it is anywhere near being able to be consumed by humans. However, since everybody is different, it cannot be guaranteed for every single person that a drug is working to its potential.
If the technology to map the brain and discover every truth about how it works becomes so great, who is going to stop people from using it illegally? Technology could potentially lead to the ability to read the brain and map thoughts. What would happen if this technology accidentally (or perhaps purposefully) uncovered confidential material? With such advanced technology, the confidential material could just be erased from the minds of those who weren't supposed to know it. Although this scenario seems too far into the future to even discuss, it is still an issue that may cause problems in our society.
The definition of death has been shifted from "the cessation of all cirulatory and respiratory systems" to "the cessation of all functions of the brain and brain stem." This suggests the possibility of the cyborg, half human half machine, by keeping the brain alive without a host! Popular among science fiction writers, the thought of the brain being wired to machinery has been expressed over and over again. However, with neuroscience, is this not essential? Scientists use a vast number of technological devices hooked to the brain in order to map it. Also, our brains have even been discovered to be able to move mechanical arms and legs with just our mind! So how is the power to use our brains to control machines not an indication for a massive cyborg army?
Issue: All gain and no pain?
Issue: Truth detection
Issue: Side Effects
Issue: Mind reading and thought erasing
Issue: Cyborgs