OREANDA-NEWS. A murderer can be recognized with a positron-emission brain scan - say foreign scientists who have identified features at the physiological level, characteristic of the mental organs of people convicted of murder.

 In early June, an international group of criminologists published a study in which they found differences between the concentration of gray matter in people convicted of serious violent crimes and those who committed crimes of moderate and minor gravity.

 This work is the continuation of many years of attempts by scientists to understand what makes people commit crimes.  At the same time, the search for the biological characteristics of criminals is one of the most controversial and taboo areas of science, which is close to eugenics both in the scientific community and in public understanding.  Researchers have tried to find the differences between criminals and ordinary people in genes, the brain and even in facial features - and why these studies still raise many ethical questions.

 The research participants were divided into three groups - the first included murderers, the second - rapists and buyans, and the third - those who committed non-violent crimes, such as drug possession.  Participants had a positron emission scan of the brain.