How would the justice system change if there was a machine that could read memories?

Answer 1

Oh, i think you would enjoy a movie that i watched years ago...i don't remember the name, but it was about a machine that could see crimes BEFORE they happened, so the pollice would arrest the person on the day that the crime 'would of' happened. it was oretty neat, until one day, the protagonist of the movie discovered that sometimes the machines were wrong, because the future wasn't always definite. quite an interesting movie, you should watch it!

Answer 2

Not much I think.

A lawyer somewhere would probably argue that although the machine read peoples memories, it had in fact been programmed by other people in the first place, so it could be flawed.

Or that the reading was still being interpreted by humans so it was subjective.

Or that such a reading was an infringement of people's civil liberties. I mean what would happen if the machine fell into the wrong hands.

Answer 3

Well, if they don't go actively looking in people's heads for crimes and only use it on suspects, it would be great! No more false positives...unless they convinced themselves they did infact do the crime when they didn't (there was an article in SciAm:MIND recently that talked about researched implanting false memories). Would be an interesting World. We could use it to make politician's minds public, hehe.

Answer 4

It wouldn't, because using it would violate the 5th ammendment (self-incrimination).
And someone would find ways to trick it (like "lie-detector tests" now).

Answer 5

You would still be left with the problem of interpreting intent and context.






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Answer 6

then each one of us will end up in jail and many will have to be executed.

Answer 7

it wouldn't, cops are a.s.s.holes!