Meeting of the Minds

37 recommendations Europeans came up with when they gathered to talk about brain science.

| 5 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
5:00
Share

Even if psychosurgery, cognitive enhancement, and behavioral control threaten to change the very notion of human identity, public discussion of the subject has been muted. Issues such as genetics and nanotechnology have provoked committees, reports, and regulations, but brain research has remained in the background of the public consciousness.

Beginning in 2004, to provoke a measured and informed debate before technology truly takes off, the "Meeting of Minds - A European Citizens' Dialogue on Brain Science" gathered 126 laypeople from nine European countries to formulate continent-level recommendations for policymakers and researchers. The method - which we believe was a radical step forward in the growing field of public science consultation - is described in detail on the Meeting of Minds Web site (www.meetingmindseurope.org).

The resulting recommendations, the European Citizens' Assessment, have been presented at the European Parliament. Senior European policymakers, mental health campaigners, and ethicists have praised the recommendations for ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Tinne Vandensande

    This person does not yet have a bio.
  • Michael Rogers

    This person does not yet have a bio.
  • Stef Steyaert

    This person does not yet have a bio.

Published In

Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
Collage-style urban graphic of wastewater surveillance and treatment

Putting Pathogens to the Test with Wastewater Surveillance

An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with lipid nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo
Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide