Lie Detectors

[DONNA1458]

Could these not be used to answer questions in situations like the McCanns?

[Neilzulu1]

I believe they are only about 96% accurate. In justice terms that it not enough.

[jake-the-peg]

Not only that but they tend to rely on the body's response to stress and, chances are an innocent person in their situation is likely to be slightly stressed and jumpy so I very much doubt they'd be reliable in this case

[kwicky]

The first to undergo the tests should be the investigators of the Portugal police as so many fabrications been put forward some appear to be living on a different planet.

[gavinbecky]

How do you know they are fabrications Kwicky? Maybe Robert Murat, the parents and their friends are all in it together. None of us knows what is or is not the truth yet.

I am like you, I read the papers, watch the tv and make an assumption. As with anything in the media these days, not everything is trueful and usually there are differences of opinion or reporting in any case. Especially one like this.

[Reverandfunk]

So Kwicky you would rather blame the police as opposed to parents who:

Left their kids in the creche all day (nice family holiday)

Drugged them at night so they could go out on the lash and leave them unattended

I know who I would rather believe.

[NJOK]

I'm not sure they're even 96% accurate.

According to wikipedia:

"While some people believe that polygraph tests are reliable, there is little scientific evidence to support this claim. For example, while some claim the test to be accurate in 90% - 95% of the cases, critics charge that rather than a "test", the method amounts to an inherently unstandardizable interrogation technique whose accuracy cannot be established. A 1997 survey of 421 psychologists estimated the test's average validity at about 61%, a little better than chance."

[Carol Anne]

What about a truth drug. Apparently it was used with impunity during the cold war. If I were the McCanns put myself up for that. Surely one of the big papers could arrange it?

[jake-the-peg]

Truth drugs are mostly fantasy, otherwise I don't think the CIA would be flying Guantanamo prisoners around the world to torture information out of them would they?

Unfortunately there's no easy answers

[anotheoldgit]

A little off the main subject I know, but it got me thinking wouldn't it be great for lie detectors to somehow be connected up to the microphones in the Party Conference Halls and in the two chambers of the Houses of Parliament.

Perhaps then we could watch the peaks and troughs of the detector (mainly peaks) on our TVs.This would be great reality TV, to replace Big Brother perhaps?

[kwicky]

Most murders, especially within families, usually have a motive. Forensic evidence in Britain is largely discredited thanks to scientist Roy Meadows where a number of mothers received jail sentences when their children died of cot deaths.
We should think long and hard before accusing any Mother of killing their child. They have suffered enough! Because the McCanns have had maximum TV coverage its plain for all to see they are innocent and probably shows the best that lie detectors can give with utmost clarity.

[kyra16]

they are very unreliable; in school a couple yrs back we had a retired officer came and bring one in to show us how it works a couple of us got hooked up to it trust me they are not the best way to find the thruth
nervousness trigged a false response and also they can be beat