Lie Detector Roundup

November 25, 2005

You know the old saying that the way to the heart is through the stomach? Well, the stomach may also be the way to the truth.

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Transcript

BOB HIRSHON (host):
Finding the truth, through the stomach. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Most lie detector tests measure heart rate and perspiration. But researchers from the University of Texas suggest that stomach activity could also be useful. In sixteen volunteers, the scientisists measured electrical impulses in the stomach called gastric slow waves, which regulate stomach activity. They found that these waves decreased significantly whenever a volunteer told a lie—measuring them along with heart rate could make lie detector tests more accurate.

In other research, scientists at Georgia Tech have isolated ten unique organic compounds from a red seaweed native to Fiji. The compounds have potential for treating a variety of ailments, including bacterial infections and some forms of cancer.
I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society