It is the year 2075, and life is radically different than the seemingly "olden days" of the beginning of the century. Society has become almost unrecognizable due to the infiltration of many new and complicated technologies. Most people would claim that the value of life has improved significantly as a result of the inventions of technologies, which make everyday activities quick and effort free. The United States has become the forerunner in the technological world, while other nations have attempted to keep up with the quick pace of modern life. The concept of being an American citizen has changed drastically, while personal freedom possess a whole new meaning. It is hard to believe that the invention of one single device would have so much influence on almost every aspect of society.
A brain scanning machine has been invented, which is capable of reading one's thoughts, intentions, memories, and innermost desires. It is now impossible to be alone in you own head. Everyone's personal thoughts have now become publicly available to anyone who has access to the program. This technology threatens the ethical/moral realm of life by hindering one's free will. The United Sates was founded on the principles that each person regardless of affiliation, or race should receive equal rights under the law. The Bill of Rights extends to every valid citizen the freedom of speech, press, and the right to bear arms. The fourth amendment offers a citizen security in effects, person, and actions, making searches or impositions unreasonable without just cause. This scanning technology most definitely defies these national beliefs and traditions which were so important to our founding fathers. Due to this technology, people have lost faith in the government because their personal freedom has been threatened. A new vision of the ruling body as a conspiring, evil government, which spies on people's every thought and intention, has become popular. Life is very uneasy, because one constantly feels like someone is watching their every move.
In the legal realm, brain scanning has allowed police and investigators to catch a criminal, before a crime is even commit, simply because they thought about it. Murder and robbery rates have declined, but with a consequence. Using this form of technology would require that the public service force be increased significantly, because there are so many people to monitor on a constant basis. In a criminal investigation, the search for the perpetrator of the crime is much more direct and less time consuming. One problem that has arisen from the technologies use is the rise in false accusations. Many people have been punished for crimes they didn't commit, only thought about. The idea of the courtroom, including the jury and the judge, has become a thing of the past. There is no longer need for interrogation or a search for motives, because the technology's results are deemed guaranteed. It has become virtually impossible for a person to lie under oath or to the law enforcement body.
With all positives, inevitably come negative consequences. While this brain scanning technology can be completely useful and beneficiary, it must be in the "right hands" to do good. It would be very possible that anyone could hack into the system or get a hold of the technology, and use it to spy on innocent people. With this modernization comes a new found fear that anyone could invade your personal privacy. However this is a risk that must be taken in order for brain scanning to be used. Like any other device, abuse can occur depending on the individual. In the long run, the invention of this and other technologies like this was inevitable due to the resources available in the modern world. As humans we must adjust to this change in our environment, and try desperately to protect ourselves from these negative consequences. The idea of embodiment has become virtually less and less possible due to this modernization and expansion of the technological realm of society.
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