Brain scans might be better lie detectors

[Lisa!]

http://www.livescience.com/041129_lie_detection.html

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

That's interesting. Hasn't it been shown scientifically though that people are capable of controling their brain activity when meditating? And what about people who truly believe what they are saying even if they are lying? I don't think that this device would help with that would it?

 

[Lisa!]

That's interesting. Hasn't it been shown scientifically though that people are capable of controling their brain activity when meditating? And what about people who truly believe what they are saying even if they are lying? I don't think that this device would help with that would it?

I don't know. The only thing I know is, I usually don't need a lie detector to know whether someone's lying or not. I just look at people's eyes and well it's clear. Of course I should say fortunately people around me aren't professional liars like politicians or criminals!

 

[selfAdjoint]

I don't know. The only thing I know is, I usually don't need a lie detector to know whether someone's lying or not. I just look at people's eyes and well it's clear. Of course I should say fortunately people around me aren't professional liars like politicians or criminals!

Let's hope you never run into a smooth talking sociopath.

 

[Moonbear]

That's interesting. Hasn't it been shown scientifically though that people are capable of controling their brain activity when meditating? And what about people who truly believe what they are saying even if they are lying? I don't think that this device would help with that would it?

I don't know about meditation, though I'd expect even that would show up as a characteristic pattern of activity if it were studied (I don't know if it has or hasn't...just a guess here), and while it might not show if someone was being truthful, if you could tell they were doing something that altered their brain activity patterns, you could at least count the results as inconclusive.

As for someone believing a lie, that's not so much being untruthful as delusional and would be more of a pathology than just lying.

I wonder if it would also make a difference how well rehearsed a lie is. If you're fabricating a story while the recording is done, I would think it would show up as a different activity pattern than if you've committed a lie to memory through much repetition so that you use a different part of your brain to recall the lie rather than to actively fabricate it. Or what if you mix in partial lies and partial truths...an embelleshment rather than a total lie.

Nonetheless, I would think it would have more promise than a polygraph test.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I know that some of my friends and I agree that when we were kids and lied a lot we practically believed what it was that we were saying. I remember lying to my parents and genuinely breaking down in tears because they didn't believe me. I was a terrible little brat.
So I'm just wondering what difference something like that might make. Or even just a person who is mentally imbalanced.
Like you said it would probably be better than a polygraph at any rate.


By the way, congrats on your new Super Mentor status Moonie!