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 ...
