Monday, October 08, 2018

The Lasso Of...Truth?

     What doe s a "lie detector" detect?  Wired took a look at them and the answer is...maybe not a lot.

     I'd like to see a run-off between a polygraph and a good police detective.  People are pretty good lie detectors.  On the other hand, some people are extraordinarily good liars -- and the same coolness and "method acting" that lets such a person lie successfully to others would show nice, truthful responses on the machine.

     It's disappointing.  Who wouldn't like a reliable way to know when someone is lying?  And think of what it would do the political debates....  

7 comments:

Jerry said...


read an interesting article along this line over the weekend.

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/he-actually-believes-he-is-khalid-the-odyssey-of-a-counterfeit-saudi-prince

Ratus said...

Sure, and the next thing you are going to tell me is that my Phrenology degree is not worth the paper it's printed on.

The Neon Madman said...

Asimov's Mind Probe

FrankC said...

I'm reminded of Johnny Carson's rendition of a politician on a polygraph. Every lie got a beep.

Ritchie said...

There is some research about involuntary brain wave response to images.

"Do you know this person?"

"No"
Beeeeep!

Will said...

There is the voice (stress) analyzer that was supposed to have good accuracy, but I havn't seen it mentioned for a while. Maybe it works too well?

Robert said...

The Simpsons bartender Moe Szislack while hooked up to a lie detec tor:

Will ya hurry it up? I got a hot date tonight.
Bzzz!
A date.
Bzzz!
Dinner with friends.
Bzzz!
Dinner alone.
Bzzz!
Allright, eating at home ogling the women in the Sear's catalog.
Ding!
Now, will you unhook me from this thing already? I don't deserve this shabby treatment.
Bzzz!