Advances in understanding how the brain works are rapidly leading to new possibilities for intervention in brain function. The ability of brains and machines to talk to each other directly is fast becoming a very real possibility, as is the possibility for whole brain emulation and machine intelligence. This raises profound ethical issues related to understanding behaviour and potentially manipulating it, so called ‘mind control’. Not only that, the economic consequences and security concerns that might be raised by different levels of capability require careful consideration. What price do we have to pay to be smarter, faster and better humans?

Panel:

• Professor Nick Bostrom, Director, Oxford Martin Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology and Professor of Philosophy, University of Oxford
• Professor Gero Miesenböck, Co-Director, Programme on Mind and Machine and Waynflete Professor of Physiology, University of Oxford
• Graham Lawton, Deputy Editor, New Scientist