When you think of lie detection tests, you likely visualize an episode of CSI where detectives use the device to solve a crime. However, these tests actually have important real-world uses and their acceptance in the classroom has been widely debated for many years. A new form of technology known as fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) uses neuroscience to perform lie detection tests. Although researchers boast about the immense power of fMRI, problems within the device and the research conducted on it justify why it should not be used in the classroom for now. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay fMRI works by monitoring blood flow in activated brain areas. When people lie, it is assumed that their brains have to work harder. Therefore, more blood flows to these regions of the brain, as indicated in fMRI reports. Some published articles have claimed that the device's accuracy rates range from 70 to 90%. Additionally, eight different laboratories have published twelve peer-reviewed articles on fMRI-based lie detection. Similar to fMRI, the polygraph is an older lie detection test that you are probably more familiar with. This device has been around for almost a hundred years and has been widely used to evaluate the honesty of countless people. The polygraph measures indications of anxiety that appear when a person lies by checking high levels of blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and galvanic skin response. Currently, the polygraph is used by government agencies such as the FBI as a pre-screening technique for jobs. However, because the device is not entirely accurate (70%) and could lead to the false conviction or acquittal of a defendant, it was found inadmissible in the courtroom for almost all cases. Since fMRI uses newer technology and potentially works at a higher accuracy rate than the polygraph, you may wonder why it didn't pass as a lie detection test. The short answer is that several flaws lie within the research. fact about fMRI that diminishes its credibility. None of the eight labs publishing fMRI research have replicated their work. Therefore, it is unclear whether their results are accurate or not since their tests have not been repeated by others to obtain a consistent result. Furthermore, the studies were conducted using a sample of people that is not representative of the population on which fMRI tests are likely to be used, which demonstrates that there is no known error rate for fMRI-based detection in real-world settings. Finally, the results of an fMRI test can be easily distorted. If subjects move their head or tongue even slightly, fMRI will produce poor quality and unreliable data. Therefore, a solution to this problem must be found to ensure that the data is consistently accurate. Since 2006, only two companies, No Lie MRI and Sephos, have offered fMRI lie detection services to the public. The latter company closed in 2010 after the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee ruled in U.S. v. Semrau that the device cannot be used in a court of law. The judge in the case said the lack of a known true error rate for fMRI makes it impossible to use as credible evidence. If further research will be conducted to validate the accuracy rates of fMRI and ensure that its data cannot be.