The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime The new knowledge being gained from applying brain imaging techniques to understanding crime is creating an uncomfortable tension between our concepts of responsibility and retribution on the one hand, and understanding and mercy on the other. This presentation outlines implications of this body of knowledge not just for research on violence, but also for our future conceptualization of moral responsibility, free will, and punishment. If the neural circuitry underlying morality is compromised in offenders, how moral is it of us to punish prisoners as much as we do? Can biological risk factors help better predict future violence? And how can we improve the brain to reduce violence?