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Commentary: Misuse of science is a threat to civil liberties

By A. C. Grayling

17 September 2008

91av. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

IN JULY this year, that two people had been found guilty of murder, based largely on evidence provided by a brain-scanning technique known as brain electrical oscillations signature (BEOS) profiling. According to the report, the state police of Maharashtra “can now bank on a forensic tool to achieve speedy convictions”.

I choose the following words carefully: the utter irresponsibility involved here, and its attendant outrage of justice, is staggering. It is yet another example of how technology is increasingly misapplied and abused, and represents a major threat to civil liberties.

BEOS profiling is a…

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