title: Promises, promises for neuroscience and law.
abstract: Stunning technical advances in the ability to image the human brain have provoked excited speculation about the application of neuroscience to other fields. The 'promise' of neuroscience for law has been touted with particular enthusiasm. Here, we contend that this promise elides fundamental conceptual issues that limit the usefulness of neuroscience for law. Recommendations for overcoming these challenges are offered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USA; Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Center for Law, Brain and Behavior, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: joshua_buckholtz@harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Joshua W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Buckholtz
authors.affiliation: University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA; University of California San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA; UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science & Health Policy 200 McAllister, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Faigman
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain; D006801:Humans; D007603:Jurisprudence; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends*