fMRI No Lie Is No Go in Southern California Case

The Stanford Center for Law & the Biosciences Blog reports (March 25, 2009) that fMRI No Lie's request to introduce brain scan evidence to show a client's non-lying has been withdrawn.

Good. It is good that this bogus lie detection method won't see the inside of a courtroom for the time being. See my earlier comments and questions about fMRI lie detection here and here.

Brain research is good. The ability of a scientifically-outlandish use of brain research to command widespread public attention is not good.

But in this instance at least both intelligence and common sense overcame faddishness and gee-whiz popular science. Will Homeland Security exhibit similar caution, intelligence, and common sense in the use of such pseudo-scientific lie detection methods? Given the widespread use of the polygraph in the halls of government, there is reason to wonder.

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