Brain Waves report: neuroscience & society

[DocM]

A series of reports by the UK's Royal Society on neuroscience and its societal implications. Quite a read.

http://royalsociety.org/policy/projects/brain-waves/

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The Brain Waves project explores the potential and the limitations of neuroscience insights for policymaking, as well as the benefits and the risks posed by applications of neuroscience and neurotechnologies.?

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Brain Waves

Society and policy....

The authors discuss their own views on how developments might impact on society, examining some of the opportunities and risks, as well as the ethical questions and governance issues.

Education and lifetime learning....

The report argues that our growing understanding of how we learn should play a much greater role in education policy and should also feature in teacher training. The report also discusses the challenges and limitations of applying neuroscience in the classroom and in learning

Conflict and security....

The report considers some of the key advances in neuroscience, including neuropharmacology, functional neuroimaging and neural interface systems, which could impact upon these developments and the policy implications for the international community, the UK government and the scientific community.

The law....

Key messages of the report include:

? There is a big gap between research conducted by neuroscientists and the realities of the day to day work of the justice system. There is currently no forum in the UK for bringing together neuroscientists and legal professionals to explore areas of mutual interest.

? It is important that professionals at all stages of the legal system who might encounter neuroscience understand some of the key principles on which it is based; the limitations to what studies can tell us; and some of the generic challenges of its application. Lawyers and judges in England and Wales often have no training in scientific principles. Undergraduates in neuroscience are not necessarily taught about the societal implications of the discipline.

? Almost all neuroscientific research in the UK is related to health. However, findings from research have wider policy implications. Important insights for the law would be provided by further research into areas including neuropathology studies to characterise Non-Accidental Head Injury (NAHI); and studies into the relative efficacy of different models of risk assessment in the context of probation, and a possible role for neuroscience to be used in combination with existing approaches.