Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind made a reality

Millions of people might be tempted to erase a severely painful memory, for instance — but what if, in the process, they lost other, personally important memories that were somehow related? Would a treatment that “cleared” the learned habits of addiction only tempt people to experiment more widely?

Neuroscientists have discovered a possible way to erase memories, the New York Times reports today.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind may be coming to a cul-de-sac near you. Or perhaps more sinisterly -- what might an authoritarian/totalitarian state do with this power?