Slaughter of the Innocents & Minority Report

Mind reading is possible!
Kathleen Taylor, 15 Dec 2012
Salon
Advances in neuroimaging suggest telepathy could be on the horizon. It's time to consider how we'd use it.

As the details have unfolded in the Sandy Hook (Newtown CT) massacre, it is impossible not to be deeply affected by the horror, seemingly unimaginable but nonetheless all too real. Public reaction has run the gamut of disbelief, sorrow, empathy, and rage. Whenever such an unspeakable crime occurs, there is contentious discussion of how the act could have been prevented. While it is an important aspect to be considered, I will not deal with the gun control issue here.

Rather, I will reach into the future, and think about identifying such mass murderers, before they have ever committed any crime. In the film Minority Report (incidentally based on a story by Philip K Dick), the “precogs” can see into the future (precognition), anticipating crimes, so that the police can arrest the offenders before they actually commit the crime. (Great movie!)

I prefer to imagine that “telepaths” will eventually be able to identify patterns of thought tending toward violence. Such potentially violent individuals could possibly be detained for interrogation. There is great potential for abuse of this talent. Governments, through their police agencies, might compile watch lists. Worse yet, the allegedly prospective offenders might be forced to submit to mandatory “treatment” of various types. It might even involve screening of the entire population. Invasion of privacy? Arguably so. At what price do we prevent mass murder, or murder of any kind? Why not other crimes, such as rape and assault? Or any crime? Who among you has not committed some sort of “thought crime”? Hm. I feel a chill down my spine.

Telepathy might not be technology per se, but I suspect it will come as a result of technological advancement. The downside of possible telepathy abuse is the same as any technology. I do not have any suggestions to prevent such abuse, but I feel relatively certain the capability will eventually be developed, and inevitably abused. Perhaps some uses of telepathy will be considered unethical by the international community, as human cloning is now. But once we have it, how do we control its use? I'm not sure whether I would want this ability or not. Hm. Of course I would. After all, I use my powers only for good.