Rapid research advances have led to speculation that neuroscience may provide tools to boost memory, detect lies and even increase one's intelligence. But such advances have ethical implications and policies are not in place to cope with the consequences.

The first-ever meeting of the Neuroethics Society, to be held 13-14 November at the AAAS Headquarters in 1200 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC, will bring together neuroscientists, psychologists, lawyers, philosophers and others to discuss the implications of the work. The meeting will include a debate on cognitive enhancement and sessions on such topics as the use of neuroscience in law enforcement and national security and decision-making and free will.

The Society's president Steven Hyman, neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School and Provost of Harvard University, will speak on treating mental illness in children during the 13 November session on "Neuroethics of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder." In the same session, Ben Vitiello, scientific program director at the National Institute of Mental Health, will discuss possible implications and controversies that a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in childhood can produce.

Bioethicists Julian Savulescu of the University of Oxford and Carter Snead of the University of Notre Dame will debate cognitive enhancement, such as drugs that boost memory and attention and ward-off sleep. Savulescu says that it is our "moral obligation to enhance cognition," listing personal, social and economic benefits that might accrue from more mental ability. But Savulescu cautions that cognitive enhancement must be pursued in parallel with moral enhancement, or else our newly gained smarts could "enhance the ability to wreak havoc…