Neurorights
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Scientists are getting better at decoding what happens inside our minds—and it’s only a matter of time before others want a peek.

![](https://assets.brentturner.is/_fitWide1600/9365/Neurorights.webp)

Recent issues of _The New New_ have rounded up captivating advancements from the world of brain science. We’ve seen **[brain organoids](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63195653?ref=thenewnew.is)** sense their environment and teach themselves to play Pong. Down below, we introduce “**[DishBrain](https://newatlas.com/computers/human-brain-chip-ai/?ref=thenewnew.is)**” to our lexicon. Over at Ford, **[brainwave driving](https://www.motor1.com/news/571543/ford-patent-drive-car-brain/?ref=thenewnew.is)** will allow us to take our hands off the wheel. Plus, we’ve seen a new **[prosthesis that could restore memory](https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/09/06/1059032/memory-prosthesis-damaged-brains/?ref=thenewnew.is)** in people with damaged brains, and a new system **[captures the exact words and phrases someone was thinking](https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/01/1072471/brain-scans-can-translate-a-persons-thoughts-into-words/?ref=thenewnew.is)**.

These groundbreaking explorations underscore the boundless potential in understanding and interacting with the human brain.

This fast-moving progress is also now spurring **[an emerging “neurorights” discussion](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/08/mind-reading-brain-data-interrogation-mri-machines/675059/?ref=thenewnew.is)**. Analogous to data privacy, neurorights advocates for protecting mental privacy and encouraging responsible brain data use and interventions.

Consider the case of Ross Compton, **[whose heart data was used against him in court](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mans-cardiac-pacemaker-data-led-to-arson-charges/?ref=thenewnew.is)**. Similarly, **[recordings from brain devices could be employed as incriminating evidence](https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/02/24/1069116/how-your-brain-data-could-be-used-against-you/?ref=thenewnew.is)** or reveal a person’s emotional state during legal proceedings.

In this fascinating juncture where innovation meets responsibility, we find ourselves at the crossroads of progress and prudence. In embracing neurorights, we will forge a path that harmonizes the promise of discovery with the imperative of safeguarding individual autonomy.

The scientists and leaders committed to neurorights today will ensure our mental landscapes remain illuminated and unexploited into the future.

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This post was included in _The New New_.

Expore Issue 26 on **thenewnew.is**

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