--- title: How Will Neuro-Evidence Reshape Human Behavior? description: Neuroscientists have developed deeper understanding of how the brain stores memories in the brain canonical: https://time.com/4180172/neural-memories-decoding-davos-poll/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-14T16:48:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T14:06:51.470Z article:section: Science og:title: What if Your Brain Could Confess? og:description: Considering a future of "Neuro-evidence" og:url: https://time.com/4180172/neural-memories-decoding-davos-poll/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdd7f93ba537fb185/6988792aab6d7784556a7fa0/neuro-decode-memories.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: neuro-decode-memories og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What if Your Brain Could Confess? twitter:description: Considering a future of "Neuro-evidence" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdd7f93ba537fb185/6988792aab6d7784556a7fa0/neuro-decode-memories.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What if Your Brain Could Confess?  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jan 14, 2016 4:48 PM UTC  Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jan 14, 2016 4:48 PM UTC Neuroscientists have developed deeper understanding of how the brain stores memories offering the possibility that in the coming decades scientists may be able to decode memories. The possibility raises questions for policymakers about how such technology would reshape human society. Neuro-evidence could be introduced in courtroom proceedings and to disrupt criminal behavior while also presenting serious ethical questions. How would humans respond to knowledge that their memories may be searched at some point in the future? In this poll ahead of [the World Economic Forum in Davos](http://time.com/4175744/world-economic-forum-davos-2016/), TIME asks key questions about how neuro-evidence would change the way you live your life. The results of the poll will be presented in a panel hosted by TIME Assistant Managing Editor Rana Foohar in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4180172/neural-memories-decoding-davos-poll/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4180172/neural-memories-decoding-davos-poll/"},"headline":"What if Your Brain Could Confess?","datePublished":"2016-01-14T16:48:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T14:06:51.470Z","description":"Considering a future of \"Neuro-evidence\"","url":"https://time.com/4180172/neural-memories-decoding-davos-poll/","keywords":["Research","Poll"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdd7f93ba537fb185/6988792aab6d7784556a7fa0/neuro-decode-memories.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdd7f93ba537fb185/6988792aab6d7784556a7fa0/neuro-decode-memories.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"neuro-decode-memories","caption":"neuro decode memories","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4180172/neural-memories-decoding-davos-poll/","name":"What if Your Brain Could Confess?"}}]}] ```