Featured
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that Terror on the High Seas: From Piracy to Strategic Challenge, by ICTS Director Prof. Yonah Alexander, PhD, and Tyler B. Richardson, has been honored with a John Lyman Book Award by the North American Society for Oceanic History. NASOH states that the Lyman Award is given "to recognize excellence in the publication of books that make significant contributions to the study and understanding of the maritime and naval history of North America, its lakes, rivers, and adjacent waters." Terror on the High Seas is available on Amazon.com. Click here to access the Amazon listing. For more information about Prof. Alexander, click here.
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that Senior Research Fellow Frank Turner recently volunteered as a judge at a Regional Science and Engineering Fair for Fairfax County high school students. The event was hosted by the Fairfax County Public Schools. During the event, Dr. Turner was able to interact with the student participants and discuss the results of their projects. The Fairfax County Schools expressed their gratitude for Dr. Turner's participation in the fair. The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is proud of Dr. Turner's contribution and looks forward to future opportunities to contribute to local science and technology programs that enrich the community and help develop the talents of tomorrow's scientists.
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ Center for Neurotechnology Studies
Cordially Invites You to Attend The Second Newman Lecture for 2010
February 26, 2010
3pm
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to present the second event in the John Henry Cardinal Newman Lecture series for 2010, chaired by Dr. James Giordano, director of the Center for Neurotechnology Studies.
The lecture will be by Prof. Peter Moskovitz, MD, a surgeon and neurophilosopher on the faculty of the George Washington University School of Medicine. His talk is entitled "Toward a Neurobiological Theory of Empathy." Prof. Moskovitz will explore the question of whether human beings are neurologically predisposed to behaviors commonly described as displaying empathy, sympathy, or altruism, all of which foster interaction within groups. Prof. Moskovitz describes empathy as just one form of the group experience known as inter-subjectivity, an extension of individual subjectivity, which itself is in some ways synonymous with consciousness. Seeking a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of empathy, Prof. Moskovitz will discuss a theoretical model of how consciousness occurs. He will tie the empathic experience to a neurobiological explanation of subjectivity, addressing ways in which the social contract and social stability may in fact have biological underpinnings.
Please join us for Prof. Moskovitz's lecture at 3 pm on the 26th, to be followed by a wine and cheese reception at 4:30. The event will be held at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, 901 North Stuart Street , Suite 200, Arlington VA, 22203, in the M-level conference room. For more information or to RSVP for the event, please contact Nancy Flynn at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 703-416-1441 ext. 127.
Cordially Invites You to Attend The Second Newman Lecture for 2010
February 26, 2010
3pm
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to present the second event in the John Henry Cardinal Newman Lecture series for 2010, chaired by Dr. James Giordano, director of the Center for Neurotechnology Studies.
The lecture will be by Prof. Peter Moskovitz, MD, a surgeon and neurophilosopher on the faculty of the George Washington University School of Medicine. His talk is entitled "Toward a Neurobiological Theory of Empathy." Prof. Moskovitz will explore the question of whether human beings are neurologically predisposed to behaviors commonly described as displaying empathy, sympathy, or altruism, all of which foster interaction within groups. Prof. Moskovitz describes empathy as just one form of the group experience known as inter-subjectivity, an extension of individual subjectivity, which itself is in some ways synonymous with consciousness. Seeking a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of empathy, Prof. Moskovitz will discuss a theoretical model of how consciousness occurs. He will tie the empathic experience to a neurobiological explanation of subjectivity, addressing ways in which the social contract and social stability may in fact have biological underpinnings.
Please join us for Prof. Moskovitz's lecture at 3 pm on the 26th, to be followed by a wine and cheese reception at 4:30. The event will be held at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, 901 North Stuart Street , Suite 200, Arlington VA, 22203, in the M-level conference room. For more information or to RSVP for the event, please contact Nancy Flynn at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 703-416-1441 ext. 127.
For Immediate Release
March 2, 2010
Contact:
Prof. James Giordano, PhD
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Laurie Kinney
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
703-525-0770
Neuroscientist Says "Brain Games" Not for Everyone
Arlington, VA - Potomac Institute for Policy Studies neuroscientist and neuroethicist James Giordano, PhD, says consumers should proceed with caution when using neurofeedback products on the market, some of which are sold as games or toys. He says while neurofeedback has proven clinical value, there are things we don't know about how the technology interacts with the brain. Dr. Giordano says its use in toys could pose a risk to certain populations, especially children and people with neuropsychiatric conditions or disorders.
The warning comes as the market is seeing an explosion of products that claim to harness the power of the brain for a variety of purposes. Neurofeedback uses sensors which, when placed in contact with the head, are able to pick up electrical output caused by brain activity. The signals may be input to a computer that translates them into a display, or - in games and toys - another device that uses them to power simple actions such as moving a ball.
Dr. Giordano says when used as directed by the manufacturer, the games are probably safe for healthy adults. But parents may want to think twice before giving them to kids. According to Dr. Giordano, "In the child, the great unknown is a), how do these technologies affect the developing brain-mind, and b), what might be the long-term or even short-term manifestations of those particular effects? And to date, that is just not known."
For more on the brain-game controversy, please visit www.potomacinstitute.org. Dr. Giordano may be reached directly via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He is currently the Director of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ Center for Neurotechnology Studies and the Capital Consortium for Neuroscience: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (www.ccnelsi.com). He is also a Senior Research Associate, Wellcome Centre for Neuroethics and Uehiro Centre for Practical Philosophy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
March 2, 2010
Contact:
Prof. James Giordano, PhD
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Laurie Kinney
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
703-525-0770
Neuroscientist Says "Brain Games" Not for Everyone
Arlington, VA - Potomac Institute for Policy Studies neuroscientist and neuroethicist James Giordano, PhD, says consumers should proceed with caution when using neurofeedback products on the market, some of which are sold as games or toys. He says while neurofeedback has proven clinical value, there are things we don't know about how the technology interacts with the brain. Dr. Giordano says its use in toys could pose a risk to certain populations, especially children and people with neuropsychiatric conditions or disorders.
The warning comes as the market is seeing an explosion of products that claim to harness the power of the brain for a variety of purposes. Neurofeedback uses sensors which, when placed in contact with the head, are able to pick up electrical output caused by brain activity. The signals may be input to a computer that translates them into a display, or - in games and toys - another device that uses them to power simple actions such as moving a ball.
Dr. Giordano says when used as directed by the manufacturer, the games are probably safe for healthy adults. But parents may want to think twice before giving them to kids. According to Dr. Giordano, "In the child, the great unknown is a), how do these technologies affect the developing brain-mind, and b), what might be the long-term or even short-term manifestations of those particular effects? And to date, that is just not known."
For more on the brain-game controversy, please visit www.potomacinstitute.org. Dr. Giordano may be reached directly via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He is currently the Director of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ Center for Neurotechnology Studies and the Capital Consortium for Neuroscience: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (www.ccnelsi.com). He is also a Senior Research Associate, Wellcome Centre for Neuroethics and Uehiro Centre for Practical Philosophy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
For Immediate Release
February 12, 2010
Contact:
Prof. James Giordano, PhD
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Laurie Kinney
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
703-525-0770
Neuroscientist says New Findings Raise Alarm about Pain in Vegetative Patients
Arlington, VA - Recent media reports indicate that tests using advanced technology have produced evidence of brain activity in some severely neurally-compromised patients. These reports indicate that if such activity exists, many legal and ethical questions arise.
Potomac Institute for Policy Studies neuroethicist James Giordano, PhD, says one of the most pressing of these ethical questions relates to the treatment of pain in vegetative patients. In a letter published in The Washington Post, in which he responds to coverage of this issue, Dr. Giordano argues that where there is brain activity, there may well be pain. But because this brain activity has long gone unrecognized, health care providers might not provide vegetative patients with the same anesthetic or analgesic treatments they would provide to other patients. Dr. Giordano suggests that the implications of this oversight are potentially alarming.
Dr. Giordano may be reached directly via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He is currently the Director of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ Center for Neurotechnology Studies and the Capital Consortium for Neuroscience: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (www.ccnelsi.com). He is also a Senior Research Associate, Wellcome Centre for Neuroethics and Uehiro Centre for Practical Philosophy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. More information may be found at www.potomacinstitute.org and www.neurobioethics.org.
February 12, 2010
Contact:
Prof. James Giordano, PhD
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Laurie Kinney
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
703-525-0770
Neuroscientist says New Findings Raise Alarm about Pain in Vegetative Patients
Arlington, VA - Recent media reports indicate that tests using advanced technology have produced evidence of brain activity in some severely neurally-compromised patients. These reports indicate that if such activity exists, many legal and ethical questions arise.
Potomac Institute for Policy Studies neuroethicist James Giordano, PhD, says one of the most pressing of these ethical questions relates to the treatment of pain in vegetative patients. In a letter published in The Washington Post, in which he responds to coverage of this issue, Dr. Giordano argues that where there is brain activity, there may well be pain. But because this brain activity has long gone unrecognized, health care providers might not provide vegetative patients with the same anesthetic or analgesic treatments they would provide to other patients. Dr. Giordano suggests that the implications of this oversight are potentially alarming.
Dr. Giordano may be reached directly via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He is currently the Director of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies’ Center for Neurotechnology Studies and the Capital Consortium for Neuroscience: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (www.ccnelsi.com). He is also a Senior Research Associate, Wellcome Centre for Neuroethics and Uehiro Centre for Practical Philosophy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. More information may be found at www.potomacinstitute.org and www.neurobioethics.org.