November 2, 2001

Land Mines in the World of Mental Maps

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

The rising prominence of brain-scanning studies hides some problems

Before entering the machine, you shed pieces of your identity one at a time. First the wedding ring goes, along with the keys and the wallet, with all of its magnetized credit cards. Then glasses, belt, and watch come off. You lie down on a cushioned tray and shut your eyes, as technicians secure the head restraint and slide you into a cramped tunnel within a massive, doughnut-shaped magnet. For the next 90 minutes,

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