Abstract

In the last decade, a series of acts of violence has increased the interest in understanding what prompts individuals to engage in serial killing, bombing, and other violent acts. The shootings of Columbine, Newtown, and Aurora in the United States, and of Oslo in Norway, 9/11, and the recent bombing during the Boston Marathon have raised questions of how to thwart such tragedies as well as of how to detect and possibly “control” individuals posing a threat to public safety. In addition, the latest developments in neuroscience and neurotechnology have provided new insights concerning the assessment and manipulation of brain functions and human behavior. Current applications of neurotechnologies offer possibilities to expand our knowledge about the brain in areas traditionally reserved for “philosophical speculations,” such as the nature of consciousness, morality, and notions of mind and self. While the real potential of these emerging neurotechnologies remain to be established, it is.