Leading ethics scholar Nita Farahany, JD, PhD, explored the implications and ethical challenges posed by advancements in brain data and mind-reading technologies.
Nita Farahany, JD, PhD, is a leading scholar on the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies, including neurotechnologies that interface with the human brain or nervous system.
On Oct. 17, the Regina Quick Center for the Arts hosted Dr. Farahany for an Open VISIONS Forum (OVF) event that drew a crowd of 500 students and community members. Titled “The Battle for Your Brain: Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of New Technologies," this OVF lecture was co-presented with the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics, through the support of Patrick J. Waide ’59.
“The presentation was cutting-edge, thought-provoking, and extremely timely,” said Gregg Caruso, PhD, director of the Waide Center.
Dr. Farahany is a distinguished professor of law and philosophy at Duke Law School. She serves as the founding director of Duke Science & Society, and is the faculty chair of the Duke MA in Bioethics and Science Policy. An influential voice in the conversation around bioethics and science policy, Dr. Farahany has been a frequent commentator in national media and radio shows. Her work has been shared through platforms such as TED, the World Economic Forum, and the Aspen Ideas Festival, and she has testified before Congress as an expert witness.
The author of The Battle for Your Brain: Defending Your Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology, Dr. Farahany's impressive career includes serving on the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues from 2010 to 2017, and as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also an ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Social Implications) advisor to the NIH Brain Initiative, and to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
“One of the core missions of the Waide Center is to prepare students to engage ethical issues in a reflective and pragmatic way," said Dr. Caruso. "Part of that preparation includes exposing students to speakers like Nita Farahany."
Housed in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics advances learning, research, and dialogue about the leading ethical issues of our time. The Waide Center works with Fairfield University students and faculty, as well as regional, national, and international leaders in a wide variety of fields, to develop strategies for managing ethical challenges.
