Neuroscience introduces new possibilities for understanding what makes us human. This understanding is accompanied by ethical and social questions that are of great importance not only to members of the public and policy makers, but also to the legal community. The NAS annual meeting symposium “Neuroscience and the Law”—based on the Sackler Forum—explored advances in neuroscience and their implications as the courts wrestle with issues such as lie detection, pain, and false memory; criminal responsibility and sentencing; and the biology of moral reasoning and psychopathy.

Inaugural Forum on Advancing Agriculture Forum on Neuroscience and the Law

The Inaugural Sackler Forum, held December 14-15, 2009 in London, addressed the question of how crop science and technology can contribute to feeding nine billion people. The second forum, held March 2-3, 2011 in Irvine, California, focused on the application of neuroscience to important legal questions. View the agenda and list of speakers for these meetings under Past Events.