Is this man lying?
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We've written before about how
mathematics can bring us
amazing
revelations. Now a mathematician in Canada says that he
can use math to tell when a politician is lying. With our own
election coming up in 2008, this is something we can use.
Stu Hutson writes in New Scientist that a hard-fought
election for the post of prime minister is taking place in
Canada right now. Mathematician David Skillicorn created an
algorithm which reveals which candidate is telling the truth in
his campaign speeches, and which one is using more "spin."
An algorithm is a set of step-by-step instructions which
results in the solution to a specific problem.
According to Skillicorn's formula, current Prime Minister Paul
Martin spins his speeches much more than his opponents
Stephen Harper and Jack Layton. Skillicorn defines "spin" as
when a person says something he doesn't really believe.
Here's how Skillicorn developed his algorithm: he analyzed the
usage patterns of a group of around 100 words that are often
linked to lying, when used by politicians. He then determined
how often these words were used in the candidates' political
speeches. Martin ranked 124, Layton 88 and Harper 73. The
higher the number, the more spin they used.
The algorithm is based on one that was created at the
University of Texas by James Pennebaker. While studying the
lies of hundreds of participants, he uncovered word patterns
linked to deception. One of these is the use of fewer personal
pronouns, such as I, we, me and us. Another is a decrease in
the use of the words "however" and "unless." These patterns
are probably subconscious. This may sound like a plot from
the TV show Numbers, but it's happening in real life.
The CIA has studied facial and body clues that reveal when
people are lying. Paul Marks writes in New Scientist that the
US Department of Defense has developed a Remote Personnel
Assessment device (RPA) that can be used on someone
without that person realizing that he is being given a lie
detector test. The RPA will use microwave or laser beams
that are bounced off a person's skin to measure their stress
level. The machine will measure the heart rate and what is
called the
galvanic
skin response and can be used on subjects who are in
motion, such as inside an airport. It can be hidden inside a
pocket and will be a lie detector that's impossible to beat.
Art credit: http://www.freeimages.co.uk
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